2005 Viña Quebrada de Macul "Domus Aurea" Cabernet Sauvignon

94 points Wine Spectator: "Dark and conentrated, with mint, cocoa powder and loam notes covering a core of dark currant confiture and warm fig." (05/09) 93 points and one of Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2009: "Arguably the best Domus to date. This wine is super-complete and remarkably individual. It has that classic Macul-area aromas of black olive and tobacco, but the fruit form this great vintage is elevated and pure. Look for graphite, tar, cassis, cherry and chocolate all rolled into one fine, ageable package..." If you have a current issue of the Wine Spectator, go to page 93 and check out the beautiful photo of this winery's Maipo Valley vineyard, featuring 80-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines and the snow-capped Andes in the distance. According to the magazine, "...the wine is a prime example of Chile's prowess with the variety." Yields here are minuscule, 1-1.5 tons per acre, and it shows in the sheer concentration and intensity of the wine. Aromas show intense black fruits, with a hint of orange peel. There is a certain exoticism here as well, with traces of cumin and sweet bay leaf wafting out of the glass. On the palate, this is a tooth-staining, dark-fruited Cab. The cassis and dark fruit flavors are intense and pure, the texture rich, and the overall style quite modern but not too over the top. If this were made in Napa, it would undoubtedly cost a whole lot more. And if you enjoy top-flight Cabernet, this is one you should not miss.