Casillero Diablo Merlot Reserva
⏳ Drinking Window
2022 - 2026
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted chicken, pasta with tomato-based sauces, medium-aged cheeses
✨ Technical Specifications
Casillero del Diablo is steeped in one of the wine world's most famous legends. To deter thieves from raiding his private cellar in the late 19th century, founder Don Melchor de Concha y Toro spread the rumor that the Devil himself guarded the depths of the cellar. This clever ruse gave birth to the iconic 'Devil's Locker' brand. The Merlot Reserva is crafted from select vineyards across Chile's Central Valley, where warm days and cool night breezes from the Andes allow the grapes to ripen slowly, preserving their natural acidity. The wine is typically aged in a combination of American and French oak barrels to impart subtle notes of vanilla and spice while maintaining its signature smooth, fruit-forward character.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1883 by Don Melchor de Concha y Toro and his wife Emiliana Subercaseaux, Viña Concha y Toro is the titan of Chilean viticulture, responsible for positioning the nation on the global fine-wine map. Anchored in the Pirque subregion of the Maipo Valley along the alluvial terraces of the Maipo River, the estate commands access to premier vineyard blocks across the Central Valley, Aconcagua, Coquimbo, and southern Chile. Here, stony, gravel-dominant soils, intense Andean diurnal temperature swings, and cooling maritime winds cultivate fruit of striking phenolic maturity and brisk acidity. Controlled for decades by the Guilisasti family, with winemaking led by technical director Marcelo Papa, the house blends vast scale with plot-by-plot precision and certified B Corporation sustainability standards. From foundational benchmarks like the historic Casillero del Diablo to terroir-driven crus like Terrunyo and the legendary Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon, the style exemplifies refined structure, savory typicity, and vibrant varietal purity.
🍇 Grapes
Merlot
🍷 ABV
13.5%