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The Don Melchor Vineyard has played an important role in the modern history of Chilean wine. Set at the foot of the Andes Mountains, on the northern banks of the Maipo River in the Maipo Valley—650 meters above sea level—the vineyard dates back to the mid-19th century, when the first French varieties were imported prior to the phylloxera outbreak in Europe.
The Don Melchor Vineyard has soils that are poor in nutrients but diverse in their structure, with a broad range of clay, silt, sand, gravel, and round stones as a result of the millennia of erosion caused by glaciers that advanced from the mountains toward the valley, transporting material that gave rise to different terraces on the northern and southern banks of the Maipo River.
The soils ensure good drainage and low fertility, which restricts plant growth and encourages the accumulation and maturation of phenolic compounds.
Another important factor is the natural balance reached in the Alto Maipo Valley due to the influence of the Andes. The Don Melchor Vineyard is located precisely in one of the coldest zones of the Alto Maipo, which is expressed through a broad daily temperature oscillation throughout the year and through cool breezes during the ripening period, which helps ventilate the vineyard and produce grapes with more pronounced acidity and fresh red fruit as well as a greater concentration of colour and aromas.
Puente Alto’s Andean climate is semi-arid Mediterranean, with an annual rainfall of 350 mm and an average annual temperature of 14.4ºC
The vineyard today consists of 127 hectares, carefully divided into seven parcels, of which roughly 90 per cent hold Cabernet Sauvignon vines, with 7.1 per cent Cabernet Franc, 1.9 per cent Merlot and the final one 1 per cent growing Petit Verdot grapes. The Cabernet Sauvignon vines average more than 30 years of age and correspond to a selection originally brought over from Bordeaux at the end of the 19th Century.
This parcel is characterised by its presentation of intense, vivid and complex red fruit aromas. Its attack is sweet, with soft tannins, a silky texture and a long and elegant finish.
Vintages from this parcel present aromas of black fruit, tobacco, chocolate, spices and occasionally menthol notes. The high tannins bring a full-bodied texture in the mouth.
With an intense fruity character and notes of black and red fruits, wines from this parcel are dense in the mouth, with the contribution of firm tannins that give great structure.
Characterized by elegance and complexity, this parcel offers vintages with subtle but powerful notes of red fruit. There’s a good balance between acidity and tannins, as well as an extraordinary depth and density in the mouth.
The expression of this parcel is fruity, with notes of spices and graphite. The attack is smooth and evolves into a fresh and balanced aroma, with a mesh of delicate tannins that integrate seamlessly.
With a good fruit expression, intense and complex, wines from this parcel begin with volume and density, providing great structure and persistence on the palate.
This parcel impresses with its aromas of wild fruit and berries, as well as floral and spice notes. With fine and delicate tannins, there is great complexity and roundness in the final result.
