VIÑA DON MELCHOR, PUENTE ALTO
MAIPO VALLEY, CHILE 2017
The second vintage of Don Melchor was the first Chilean wine to land on the prestigious Top 100 List by Wine Spectator, and since then Don Melchor has found itself on the list a remarkable eight times. The Chilean wine icon has made strides as a modern-day benchmark in New World winemaking over the past 30 years, and the 2017 vintage marks a new milestone for this cult Cabernet Sauvignon: newly minted ‘Viña Don Melchor’ has officially separated from the Concho y Toro portfolio to become its own brand. “With the creation of Viña Don Melchor, we have our sights set on producing a single wine that is the unique expression of the Puente Alto terroir and to pay homage to this fantastic origin that is able to deliver a wine with personality and matchless, unmistakable expression,” explains Enrique Tirado, Don Melchor winemaker with a 20+ year tenure. With brand independence comes greater control over vineyard and winemaking operations for this prestigious wine and while the exterior label has changed, what hasn’t changed is the top quality of the wine. The 30th anniversary bottling, 2017 is an extraordinarily elegant vintage that balances incredible concentration and depth with striking energy, in characteristic Don Melchor fashion. Expect a symphony of red and dark fruit flavors woven with minerality and earthen notes—this is an unforgettable wine that James Suckling awarded 99 points and calls “perhaps the greatest Don Melchor ever made.”
The fruit for Don Melchor is sourced from the eponymous Don Melchor Vineyard in the Alto Maipo Valley, located at the foot of the Andes Mountains. At more than 2,000 feet above sea level, the 30+ year old Cabernet Sauvignon vines are from a pre-phylloxera selection brought to Chile from Bordeaux in the late 19th century. The Bordeaux connection runs deep in this tale: in 1987, famous Bordeaux wine consultant Jacques Boissenot joined Viña Concha y Toro, thanks in part to urging from his colleague and “the father of modern winemaking” Emilie Peynaud, who also recognized the opportunity awaiting in Chile’s high-altitude vineyards. Don Melchor is a benchmark for Chilean and New World wines, and arguably, Cabernet Sauvignon as an entire category. The complexity of the 2017 Viña Don Melchor justifies this grand reputation, but amazingly doesn’t boast a grand price tag! With a special Concierge price at 16% off, the showstopping Cabernet Sauvignon comes in at under $100 a bottle. Don Melchor has been consistently great for many years, but I have a feeling the wines are just going to keep getting better. This offer is not to be missed.
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Winter 2019-2020. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in IL, LA, NY, TN, or WI. This offer is for ONE WEEK, or until sold out, and will expire on Sunday, October 27, 2019.
