Don Melchor’s artistry is on full display during a spectacular five-course wine pairing experience in Miami, celebrating Chile’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon.

November 8th, 2024

Don Melchor, Chile’s icon wine, crafts a single wine for each vintage – a Cabernet Sauvignon that reflects the painstaking attention that goes into choosing the complex vineyard blend for each vintage, crafted from grapes from the Puente Alto vineyard, in the Maipo Valley, at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Over the years, Don Melchor has continuously received top scores and accolades, becoming an icon of Chilean wine and a benchmark for Cabernet Sauvignon throughout the world.

To commemorate their 35^th vintage of Don Melchor wine an exclusive Don Melchor wine dinner was held on November 8th at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, hosted by Don Melchor winemaker and CEO Enrique Tirado at the renowned Mirabella Restaurant. The 5-course meal prepared by a Michelin star chef was paired with vintages of Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon from the years 2021, 2020, 2018, 2017.

The first course, a Carne Cruda, was paired with a Don Melchor 2020 cabernet Sauvignon. The bright taste of the fresh filet and the salt of the cornichon is complemented by a wine that was produced during one of the warmest years in a decade. Red fruit dominates the palate with ripe, hearty flavors that have a slightly dry aftertaste.

The second course, a Mushroom Risotto, was paired with a Don Melchor 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon. The richness of the cheeses in this perfectly prepared risotto is beautifully matched with this wine possessed of a deep purple color, floral notes amidst the red fruit, and a slightly sweet after taste. (This was my favorite wine of the evening)

The third course, an Agnolotti, was paired with a Don Melchor 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon. The agnolotti was the culinary showstopper of the evening for me, with sauce filled with complex layers of flavors and tender veal filled agnolotti. The wine with which it is paired has dense fruit flavors that lean closer to black currant and blueberry, yet the wine remains balanced and smooth.

The fourth course, an A-5 Miyazaki, was paired with a Don Melchor 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. The snow aged beef melts like butter and is so well matched with this deep full-bodied wine with its round finish.

The fifth course, a Pear Semifreddo, is meant as a bright, lightly sweet treat with which to cleanse the palate after the complex, rich tones of the previous courses

The setting was elegant, the service superb, the food impeccable and the wine superb. The evening was unexpectedly delightful, and educational as well for between each course, CEO Enrique Tirado spoke with pride and passion about each wine about to be served.

Don Melchor was among Chiles winemaking pioneers. Located 18km to the south of Santiago, on the northern bank of the Maipo River Puento Alto in the foothills of the Andes mountains, the Don Melchor Vineyard played a fundamental role in Chile’s modern wine history.  The Cabernet Sauvignon vines brought from Bordeaux over 140 years ago put down roots and gave birth to very fine wines full of character. Cradled by the Andes, the climate has provided unique opportunities for the development of a quality line of wines. Despite the devasting phylloxera blight of the19^th century, Chile was unaffected, and there is little use of pesticides in Chilean wine country. Today the winery produces 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 1/9% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot. As Don Melchor continues to grow it remains committed to its legacy, while embracing the future with the spirit of innovation and an unwavering dedication to quality. In fact, CEO Enrique Tirado visits each section of the vineyard every morning to sample the grapes in preparation for harvesting at just the right moment.

For more than three decades Don Melchor has solidified its position as a standard of excellence in the wine community.  Its identity is anchored in three fundamental pillars:

1. A history of passion and commitment that is reflected in the brand’s enduring legacy.
2. The unparalleled conditions of its terrain in the foothills of the Andes that lends unique character to every bottle.
3. The continued pursuit of excellence and innovation based on sustainable and agroecological management.

Each of these elements combines to create a wine that is not only a product of its environment but also a refined expression of artistry, for they believe that each vine each cluster tells a story of generations of careful cultivation.

“My connection with Don Melchor spans more than 30 years. A relationship that transcends time , in which hard work, passion, and commitment have merged together. Don Melchor not only occupies an important place in my life, but also symbolizes a deep connection with nature and an understanding of terroir and the expression of a wine that has left its mark on me in ways that are hard to express”.

-Enrique Tirado: CEO & Technical Director Vina Don Melchor