Maipo Valley, immediately south of Santiago, is Chile's most historically prestigious wine region and the heartland of Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon. The Alto Maipo subzone — where the Andes rise sharply and Andean meltwater provides irrigation — produces Chile's most age-worthy Cabernets. Concha y Toro's Don Melchor and Almaviva (joint venture with Mouton Rothschild) are the benchmark expressions: structured, mineral, cedar-spiced, with a distinctively Andean freshness.
| Year | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 85 | Solid year. Classic profile maintained. Altitude sites as always showing best complexity and longevity. |
| 2022 | 86 | Good conditions. Consistent quality across appellations. Maipo continues as Chile's Cabernet standard-bearer. |
| 2021 | 88 | Excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. Cooler growing season brought precision. Alto Maipo producing benchmark wines. Highly recommended year. |
| 2020 | 84 | Challenging due to social unrest plus COVID. Harvest proceeded smoothly at estates. Good ripeness. Reliable quality. |
| 2019 | 89 | Very good. Classic profile. Cassis, dark plum, graphite — textbook Maipo Cabernet. Superb from Concha y Toro Don Melchor and Almaviva. |
| 2018 | 85 | Good vintage. Alto Maipo (Pirque, Puente Alto) best. Drought year but altitude sites maintained freshness and aromatic precision. |
| 2017 | 92 | Outstanding Maipo Cabernet. Perfectly calibrated ripeness. Puente Alto and Alto Maipo producing age-worthy wines. Best in several years. |
| 2016 | 87 | Solid vintage. Maipo Cabernet's typical austerity in youth giving way to complexity. Andean freshness intact. Good balance. |
| 2015 | 90 | Classic Maipo Cabernet Sauvignon vintage. Warm, dry conditions. Deep colour, cassis, cedar, fine-grained tannins. Classic Bordeaux-like character. |