Viña Quebrada de Macul, Upper Maipo Valley (Chile) Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

 I have a very long track record with this wine, and it is all about admiration for its distinctiveness as well as love of its deliciousness.  The first point is at least as important as the second:  This is emphatically a wine of place — a very specific and compact place in the front range of the Andes that I’ve visited via Uber from downtown Santiago.  Like the top Bordeaux châteaux, multiple tiers are produced (i.e., a “second” and “third” wine… at a minimum) so that this flagship bottling is always the finest expression of the vineyard regardless of growing conditions in any particular vintage.  The 2021 is really about precision and detail rather than sheer density and power, which suits me just fine — though I don’t want to suggest that it is lacking in expressiveness or flavor impact (it was fabulous with garlicky lamb chops after I wrote this review).  Medium-plus in body, it shows wonderfully complex aromas of cedar, blackberries, cassis, and baking spices — along with the little of eucalyptus that always makes this immediately identifiable.  The wood is implied rather than overt, and thanks in part to that light winemaking touch, the overall complexity is off the charts for a wine that’s still so young.  This is simultaneously one of the world’s great Cabernets but also a one-off wine in a category of its own.