Let´s have a look at why in particular Don Melchor has become the top wine of the Year by Wine Spectator. 

Early recognition of potential 

The Don Melchor vineyard is on a unique plot. Vines were first planted in the area by the visionary Don Melchor Concha y Toro in 1883, who brings back vines from Bordeaux and establishes Viña Concha y Toro in Pirque, Puente Alto. 

Fast-forward to 1984. Emilie Peynaud (1912 – 2004), the famous Bordeaux enologist and researcher who is credited as the forefather of modern oenology in Bordeaux and for revolutionizing winemaking in Bordeaux in the late 20th Century visits the Don Melchor vineyards in Chile. Peynaud is amazed by what he finds here, the quality of the terroir is perfect for making high-quality Cabernet Sauvignon.  

Just to put this in perspective what this means, Peynaud is quoted as being the world´s most influential enolgists and was mentor to Paul Pontallier, the famous director of First Growth Chateau Margaux. Peynaud also consulted for Antinori on its Super-Tuscans Solaia and Tignanello, as well as Lynch-Bages in Pauillac.  He ran a prolific wine consultancy business with Jacques Boissenot, who also consulted for four of the five First Growths in Bordeaux including Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour and Château Margaux as well as many other prestigious properties. 

The early years and the critical years to success

The first vintage 1987 was released in 1989 marking a new era for developement of excellence as Chile´s first icon wine with the assistance of their French advisors.  The following vintage 1988 became a sensation when in 1992 it was announced as one of the top 100 of Wine Spectator.  Enrique Tirado was already working for Concha y Toro, however in 1997 he became the exclusive winemaker and caretaker of the Don Melchor vineyards and visionary mind developing its unique and elegant style. The following year in 1988, Almaviva another iconic Chilean fine wine is established on an adjacent plot to the Don Melchor vineyards in a joint-venture by Concha y Toro now a leading wine family in Chile together with Baron Philippe de Rothschild in Pauillac.  

By 2014, Don Melchor grows from strength to strength, as the Don Melchor team led by Enrique Tirado strive even further for perfection, developing micro-plots in the vineyard, conducting micro-studies for further improvements in the vineyard and in winemaking to attain perfection.  Don Melchor is now achieving either perfect or near-perfect scores from leading international wine critics including Jancis Robinson, James Suckling and Wine Spectator. 

One vineyard, one wine, one winemaker 

I have met Enrique Tirado the Chief Winemaker of Don Melchor on numerous occasions.  Each time I meet him, I am inspired by his dedication, focus on details, his visionary mind and by the fact that he is such a down-to-earth very likeable and approachable person.  I met him most recently in Oslo, when he presented a vertical tasting of Don Melchor.  He has been the Chief winemaker for more than 25 years, yet he says there is so much more still to be done.  So I needed to ask him more about this and this is what he shared: 

The unique terroir of Puente Alto

He told me his aim is to show the unique personality, the purest essence of the Puente Alto terroir and elegance. Here the soils are alluvial deposits from the Andes carried down by the River Maipo. The soils are stoney, deep yet with low nutrients and these ancient terraces are often likened to left-bank Bordeaux.  The climate here is quite particular. In this part of Chile, they have a semi-arid Mediterranean climate.  This means that it usually doesn´t rain during the growing season, and the summers are quite warm.  However, in D.O. Puente Alto, cold winds blow down from the nearby high Andes mountains, which gives an enormous difference between day and night temperatures, often up to 20’C difference even in the middle of summer.  

Enrique explained that their focus today is Agrio-ecology – protecting the viticulture of origin, throught viticulture management, sustainability and innovative practices to protect and preserve the unique identity of the area.  This includes preserving biodiversity with biological corridors with over 20 different native species of plants endemic to the Andes foothills, installing bird boxes and perches and creating ponds which will attract birds of prey, and small reptiles which act as natural pest control, as well as using only natural fertilization rather than chemicals. 

One single vineyard - 150 micro-terroirs!

The Don Melchor vineyard is a 127 ha plot, divided into 7 different parcels or blocks mainly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (90%), Cabernet Franc (7,1%), Merlot (1,9%) and Petit Verdot (1%). Each block has been carefully defined according to the characteristics of the fruit that derives from this particular terroir. Enrique Tirado started vineyard mapping as early as 1997, well before many of the Bordeaux estates, allowing them to have detailed analysis of each block. For example, in Block 1, Cabernet Sauvignon produces ripe red fruit, complex yet refined sweet tannins, yet in Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon produces black fruits, complexity and spices with structure through mellow tannins.   

From these 7 blocks, Enrique makes more than 150 micro-fermentations! With samples of his 150 ferments, after the harvest Enrique then travels to Bordeaux every year for a week of blending and discussions with Eric Boissenot, the son of the former consultant Jacques Boissenot. It is here that the final blend is decided, and the Don Melchor selection is then aged in French oak (the amount of new oak varies with the vintage) for 12 – 14 months in Puente Alto in Chile.