Don Melchor

Don Melchor was created in 1987 as Concha y Toro's first ultra-premium wine and its first to be aged in French oak barriques. The wine was named after Don Melchor de Santiago Concha y Toro, the ex-Minister of Finance who founded the winery in 1883 with his wife Emiliana Subercaseaux, bringing Bordeaux grape varieties to the Maipo Valley. The Puente Alto vineyard, originally planted over a century ago, was revamped following Concha y Toro's acquisition of the property in 1968. With its second vintage in 1988, Don Melchor became the first Chilean wine to enter Wine Spectator's Top 100 list, marking a watershed moment for the entire Chilean wine industry. In 2019, Viña Don Melchor became a standalone entity within the Concha y Toro group, with Enrique Tirado heading operations as CEO and Technical Director.

• First vintage 1987; first Chilean wine on Wine Spectator's Top 100 with the 1988 vintage
• Named after the winery's founder, Don Melchor de Santiago Concha y Toro, who brought Bordeaux vines to Maipo in 1883
• Viña Don Melchor became an independent unit within the Concha y Toro group in 2019, with its own dedicated winemaking team and winery
• Puente Alto vineyard acquired by Concha y Toro in 1968; pre-phylloxera Cabernet Sauvignon clonal material still grows on the property

The Don Melchor vineyard comprises 127 hectares situated on the third alluvial terrace of the northern bank of the Maipo River in Puente Alto, Alto Maipo, at 650 meters above sea level. The soils feature a loam topsoil over an abundance of river gravel, providing excellent drainage and low fertility that stresses the vines into producing concentrated, complex fruit. The elevation and proximity to the Andes create diurnal temperature swings of up to 20 degrees Celsius, preserving natural acidity and aromatic freshness through the growing season. The vineyard is divided into 7 primary parcels and 151 micro-plots, each harvested and vinified separately to allow precise lot-by-lot selection before the final blend is assembled.

• Located at 650 meters above sea level on the northern bank of the Maipo River in Puente Alto, a subdistrict of Alto Maipo
• Soils are loam over river gravel, ensuring drainage, low fertility, and concentrated fruit expression
• 7 primary parcels and 151 micro-plots vinified independently; only the finest lots selected for the final blend each vintage
• Diurnal temperature swings of up to 20 degrees Celsius preserve freshness and aromatic complexity in the Cabernet Sauvignon

Don Melchor is defined by a rich, earthy, and minerally character with a Bordeaux-like quality of finesse, purity of fruit, and impeccable balance. Primary aromas center on blackcurrant, cassis, and dark cherry, layered with graphite, dried rosemary, white pepper, and tobacco. The palate is full-bodied with well-integrated tannins, a precision-cut acidity, and a long, textured finish carrying notes of cocoa and cedar. The wine develops with bottle age, moving from primary fruit intensity toward more savory, complex tertiary layers. The official aging potential for recent vintages extends over 35 years.

• Primary aromas: blackcurrant, cassis, dark cherry, violets; secondary: graphite, tobacco, cedar, dried rosemary, white pepper
• Full-bodied with well-integrated tannins, precise acidity, and a long, cocoa-tinged finish
• Approachable at 3 to 5 years, peak drinking typically 8 to 15 years, capable of aging 35 or more years with proper cellaring
• Described by Wine Spectator as offering a Bordeaux-like quality of finesse with purity of fruit and impeccable balance

Don Melchor is the most decorated Chilean wine in history by critical standards. With its 1988 vintage it became the first Chilean wine on Wine Spectator's Top 100, and has since appeared on that list nine times, including three appearances in the Top 10. The 2018 vintage earned a perfect 100 points from James Suckling. In November 2024, the 2021 vintage, the wine's 35th, was crowned Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year, receiving 96 points. The 96-point score is the highest Wine Spectator has ever awarded to a Chilean wine, a score Don Melchor has now received for five different vintages: 2003, 2005, 2014, 2015, and 2021.

• 1988 vintage: first Chilean wine on Wine Spectator's Top 100; 9 total appearances, 3 in the Top 10
• 2018 vintage: perfect 100 points from James Suckling
• 2021 vintage: 96 points from Wine Spectator (Wine of the Year 2024); 99 points from James Suckling; 97 points from Vinous
• 96 points from Wine Spectator is the highest score the magazine has ever awarded a Chilean wine; Don Melchor has achieved it five times

Don Melchor's structured tannins, balanced acidity, and layers of dark fruit and minerality make it a natural partner for protein-rich, savory dishes. The wine's depth and herbaceous nuances suit herb-crusted preparations while its weight calls for cuts with enough fat to match its intensity. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees Celsius in large Bordeaux-format glasses; younger vintages benefit from 30 to 45 minutes of decanting to open secondary aromatics. Winemaker Enrique Tirado recommends Patagonian lamb as a personal favorite pairing.

• Grass-fed rib-eye, strip loin, or lamb rack with herb reductions and roasted root vegetables
• Duck confit or venison with wild mushroom ragout and thyme jus
• Aged hard cheeses such as Manchego or Comté with cured meats and walnuts
• Slow-braised beef short ribs with charred brassicas and red wine reduction

Enrique Tirado has overseen Don Melchor since the 1997 harvest, developing a deep understanding of every parcel in the Puente Alto vineyard. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel, followed by a maceration of approximately one week for gentle tannin extraction. After malolactic fermentation in barrel, Tirado travels each year to the village of Lamarque in Bordeaux to meet with consultant Eric Boissenot, son of Jacques Boissenot who helped define the blend from the very first 1987 vintage. Approximately 150 lots are tasted blind before the final blend is assembled. The wine is aged 14 to 15 months in French oak from the Allier, Tronçois, and Nevers forests, with approximately two-thirds new barrels and one-third second use, then bottle-aged for a further year before release.

• Enrique Tirado has been Don Melchor's winemaker since 1997; Tirado is also CEO of the standalone Viña Don Melchor entity created in 2019
• Final blend assembled annually at Lamarque, Bordeaux, by Tirado and consultant Eric Boissenot, son of the late Jacques Boissenot who worked on Don Melchor from its first vintage
• Aged 14 to 15 months in French oak from Allier, Tronçois, and Nevers; approximately two-thirds new barrels; then one additional year of bottle aging before release
• 151 micro-plots vinified separately; only 50 to 70 percent of the vineyard's fruit is ultimately selected for the Don Melchor label each vintage