Viña Don Melchor has announced their next release: 2018 Don Melchor.
More than 30 vintages now from its first release, Don Melchor is a Chilean cabernet sauvignon from Puente Alto Vineyard. The wine is composed of four varieties: cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot.
“Don Melchor is the constant quest for the best expression of every vine in the vineyard, so as to capture the beauty of the balance of the Puente Alto terroir,” says Enrique Tirado, winemaker and general manager of Viña Don Melchor. “This is my true obsession. I use technology as a tool for attaining a deeper understanding, but more than that, watching and touching each plant and each vine is what allows us to attain the perfect balance in each vintage.”
In the tradition of First Growth Bordeaux, Don Melchor is known for its blending process, the company says, an annual collaboration between Tirado and blender Eric Boissenot, designed to “find the truest expression of Puente Alto.” The weather conditions in 2018 allowed the team to showcase the beauty of the composition between all four Bordeaux varieties planted in Puente Alto, the company adds, with a balanced blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.
The vintage was warmer than average, but unlike 2017, a more even distribution of rainfall allowed for steady maturation of multiple varieties. Harvested by hand between March and May, 2018 Don Melchor shows complexity of small red fruits and floral notes, the company reports. The wine has an aging potential of 35 years.
“We call our approach the ‘Beauty of the Composition’ to capture the artistry that defines each vintage,” says Tirado. “When we start working on the blend, we have not one expression but hundreds of micro-vinifications to consider that collectively represent the distinct flavors, aromas, textures and color variations of our terroir. Creating the final assemblage of Don Melchor is like painting in many colors and tones to illustrate the beauty of this extraordinary vineyard.”
2018 Don Melchor retails for a suggested price of $120 per 750-ml bottle, and is available now.
