Caribbean fans of Chile’s iconic and much-celebrated Don Melchor wine had the opportunity to participate in a guided tasting of their favourite vintage with none other than Don Melchor’s winemaker himself, Enrique Tirado. The global pandemic has forced many organisations to dig deep and seek new ways of engaging their customers and, like other sectors, the wine industry has leveraged online platforms to “beam” their winemakers into the homes of thousands of their customers globally. In the context of our current reality, this digital delivery seems to be a win-win for all. The winemaker does not have to be battling his way through airports, and we get to “chillax” at home, interact and ask questions of the person who made the wine we are drinking. 

Special local offer

In Jamaica, local Don Melchor distributor Caribbean Producers Jamaica (CPJ) invited wine lovers and collectors of Don Melchor like myself to attend this virtual event. They also had a very special discount offer on the current price of J$20,481.91 per bottle + GCT for the 2016 Don Melchor that they have in stock. Don Melchor is one of the few wines available in the local market with the aging potential of 25-30 years and considering its pedigree of being in the top 1% of wines in the world, it is excellent value for money. These factors contribute to why I collect this wine. 

30th anniversary celebrations

Don Melchor was the first ultra-premium wine in the history of Chilean oenology and is the only one with a track record of 30 vintages, most, if not all of which, are recipients of international awards and commending reviews. Enrique Tirado led this tasting with the 30th anniversary vintage, the 2017 Don Melchor. Enrique took us on a fascinating journey of the wine-making process from the vineyard, explaining the parcels of land where the grapes are grown and types of soils, to which grapes are grown and then how the final blend is made. Enrique explained that since 1999 he travels to Bordeaux, France in July of each year to consult and taste the samples from over 150 parcels of land with their winemaker partners to agree on the final composition of Cabernet Sauvignon and the other supporting varietals like Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

The 2017 Don Melchor he was tasting on this virtual tasting is 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. Enrique’s tasting notes: “Deep cherry red in colour. Don Melchor 2017 is a wine with extraordinary elegance. Full of aromas and flavours and a marked presence of red berries. On the palate, there are strong notes of Cabernet Sauvignon from Puente Alto, with fine and delicate tannins, while also providing a good density and long-lasting finish.” Acclaimed American wine critic James Suckling gave 99 points to the 2017 vintage, highlighting it among over 1,200 Chilean wines. 

Introducing Viña Don Melchor

Late last year, coinciding with the release of the 30th anniversary vintage, the 2017 Don Melchor, Viña Concha y Toro announced that it will spin off Don Melchor as an independent winery. Don Melchor was first created in 1987 by the Guilisasti family of Concha y Toro, and named after the founder of the winery, Don Melchor de Concha y Toro, their forefather in the Chilean wine industry. Our virtual tasting host Enrique Tirado, the winemaker of Don Melchor for over 20 years, has been named CEO/general manager of the new Viña Don Melchor. 

Our in-house vertical tasting

My wife and I shared a few of our bottles with some of our regular wine-tasting crew in a hurriedly organised vertical tasting. A vertical tasting involves wines from the same winery but from different vintages. Vintages we tasted were: 1996, 2006 and 2016. Here is some of the feedback:

Don Melchor 1996 – At 24 years old, this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon based Don Melchor is a leathery, mature, powerful red wine, still showing great fruit and structure. It needed close to an hour to get into its stride and show its best. Solid proof that Chilean wines can age and stand the test of time. Sadly, this was my last bottle of 1996. Recognitions of the 1996 Don Melchor included: 96 Pts – Decanter; 92Pts- Wine & Spirit and 90 Pts Wine Spectator.

Don Melchor 2006 – 14 years old, made with 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc. A rich, powerful, expressive and balanced red wine. These wines need to be opened, preferably decanted and allowed to breathe. Recognitions of the 2006 Don Melchor included: 95 Pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate; 94 Points Wine Spectator; 94 Pts – Wine Enthusiast; 91Pts – Wine & Spirit.

Don Melchor 2016 – This four-year-old wine made with 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot & 1% Merlot was the baby of the bunch and was also opened and then decanted. As Enrique explained on the Zoom virtual tasting session, he makes his wines with the ability to be cellared, but they can be enjoyed if opened right now. The 2016 confirmed this with its youthful exuberance and elegant balance. It was definitely friendly and smooth on the palate after it spent 30 or so minutes breathing. Recognitions of the 2016 Don Melchor included: 94 Pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate; 94 Points Wine Spectator; 94 Pts – Tim Atkin. 

2018 vintage pre-launch

The highly anticipated 2018 vintage of Don Melchor which received a perfect 100-point score from American wine critic James Suckling will be released in our market perhaps later this year. This vintage is composed of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, and was aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, 67% of which were new and 33% were second-use. 

Appreciation Letter – A wonderful touch

After the tasting which had over 50 Zoom logins and was watched by over 100 persons in many Caribbean islands including Jamaica, Enrique sent a thoughtful letter of appreciation. “ … I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for your participation in this activity and for sharing with us the essence of Don Melchor and its unequalled elegance and style. It is an honour to be able to share with you the passion behind Don Melchor. “ – Enrique Tirado S CEO & Winemaker, Viña Don Melchor 

Christopher Reckord – Wine enthusiast and CEO of Managed IT services provider tTech Limited. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord