Viña Don Melchor
Owners: Viña Don Melchor S.p.A.
Head Winemaker: Enrique Tirado
Website: donmelchor.com
Commercial Contact: maria.moscoso@conchaytoro.cl
History
In 1883, Don Melchor Concha y Toro planted the first wine grape varieties, brought from the renowned Bordeaux region of France, at the foot of the Andes in Pirque, just 27 kilometres from Santiago. That same year, he built the iconic Casona de Pirque —today known as Casa Don Melchor— together with the winemaking and ageing cellars of the time.
A century later, Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle, then President of Viña Concha y Toro, encouraged his son Rafael and the winery's winemaker at the time, Goetz Von Gersdorff, to travel to Bordeaux to meet the renowned French oenologist Émile Peynaud and present him with Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the Puente Alto vineyard, located on the northern bank of the Maipo River, just 4 kilometres from the Casona de Pirque. Peynaud immediately recognised the excellence of the wines and suggested that the prestigious Bordeaux consultant Jacques Boissenot lead the project. Don Melchor was born, taking the name of the winery's founder, with 1987 as its first vintage.
Don Melchor is regarded as Chile's first icon wine and a true international benchmark, the result of a constant pursuit of excellence and perfection in every vintage.
Don Melchor comes from an exceptional terroir at the foot of the majestic Andes. Here, Enrique Tirado —CEO and Technical Director of Viña Don Melchor and guardian of this terroir— leads the effort to preserve its legacy for future generations, seeking to express the essence of the place in its purest and most extraordinary form.
This purpose is built around several fundamental pillars: its unique Andean origin in Puente Alto; the preservation of a pre-phylloxera massal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon as a viticultural legacy of global significance; an agroecological approach designed to foster life and biodiversity; and ongoing research and innovation through the Viñedo Solar project, planted in 2018.
In this way, Don Melchor honours century-old, pre-phylloxera Cabernet Sauvignon, whose deep connection to the land is reflected in a sustainable, thoughtful approach to viticulture, guided by respect for life and the environment.
Through meticulous management of individual vineyard parcels, the aim is to enhance the unique expression of each of its 151 micro-parcels. The art of blending then brings these individual expressions together in each vintage, creating a wine that reflects the union of origin, tradition and excellence.
Vineyards
Situated at the foot of the Andes, the Don Melchor vineyard lies on the northern bank of the Maipo River at 650 metres above sea level. It covers 125 hectares, 93% of which are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon across seven main parcels, with 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot and the remaining 1% Petit Verdot.
The oldest vines are 46 years old, with an average age of 39 years across these parcels. This terroir offers exceptional conditions for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Its distinctive identity comes from the combination of Puente Alto's diverse alluvial soils and Andean climate, which bring remarkable complexity, freshness and elegance to the wine.
Head Winemaker: Enrique Tirado
Website: donmelchor.com
Commercial Contact: maria.moscoso@conchaytoro.cl
HistoryIn 1883, Don Melchor Concha y Toro planted the first wine grape varieties, brought from the renowned Bordeaux region of France, at the foot of the Andes in Pirque, just 27 kilometres from Santiago. That same year, he built the iconic Casona de Pirque —today known as Casa Don Melchor— together with the winemaking and ageing cellars of the time.
A century later, Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle, then President of Viña Concha y Toro, encouraged his son Rafael and the winery's winemaker at the time, Goetz Von Gersdorff, to travel to Bordeaux to meet the renowned French oenologist Émile Peynaud and present him with Cabernet Sauvignon wines from the Puente Alto vineyard, located on the northern bank of the Maipo River, just 4 kilometres from the Casona de Pirque. Peynaud immediately recognised the excellence of the wines and suggested that the prestigious Bordeaux consultant Jacques Boissenot lead the project. Don Melchor was born, taking the name of the winery's founder, with 1987 as its first vintage.
Don Melchor is regarded as Chile's first icon wine and a true international benchmark, the result of a constant pursuit of excellence and perfection in every vintage.
Don Melchor comes from an exceptional terroir at the foot of the majestic Andes. Here, Enrique Tirado —CEO and Technical Director of Viña Don Melchor and guardian of this terroir— leads the effort to preserve its legacy for future generations, seeking to express the essence of the place in its purest and most extraordinary form.
This purpose is built around several fundamental pillars: its unique Andean origin in Puente Alto; the preservation of a pre-phylloxera massal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon as a viticultural legacy of global significance; an agroecological approach designed to foster life and biodiversity; and ongoing research and innovation through the Viñedo Solar project, planted in 2018.
In this way, Don Melchor honours century-old, pre-phylloxera Cabernet Sauvignon, whose deep connection to the land is reflected in a sustainable, thoughtful approach to viticulture, guided by respect for life and the environment.
Through meticulous management of individual vineyard parcels, the aim is to enhance the unique expression of each of its 151 micro-parcels. The art of blending then brings these individual expressions together in each vintage, creating a wine that reflects the union of origin, tradition and excellence.
Vineyards
Situated at the foot of the Andes, the Don Melchor vineyard lies on the northern bank of the Maipo River at 650 metres above sea level. It covers 125 hectares, 93% of which are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon across seven main parcels, with 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot and the remaining 1% Petit Verdot.
The oldest vines are 46 years old, with an average age of 39 years across these parcels. This terroir offers exceptional conditions for producing world-class Cabernet Sauvignon. Its distinctive identity comes from the combination of Puente Alto's diverse alluvial soils and Andean climate, which bring remarkable complexity, freshness and elegance to the wine.
Published wines
