"Creosote. It reminds me of the smell of Creosote". Thus began Christopher Hoel's description of his tasting of my beloved Don Melchor 2003 at the French Laundry.
I had cherished the bottle since purchasing it in Chile several years ago after it appeared as number four on the Wine Spectator Top 100 List of 2006. Don Melchor and I went way back…back to 1994 when I first visited Chile as a college student on an exchange program and my parents and I visited the Concha y Toro winery that makes Don Melchor.
At the time, my budget couldn't afford it; I was limited to $7 a bottle "late harvest" whites, which, by the way, tasted terrific to a twenty-one year old.
The sommelier's words initially pained me but he went on…"It has a wonderful earthy quality and is so young. I can't believe how dark the color is. This wine is a superb example of what a Chilean red should taste like." Whew, I felt redeemed.
Don Melchor is Concha y Toro's flagship red, a wine known for its big bouquet, full body and consistency. Year in and year out Don delivers. Several years ago, it was a fantastic value at about $35/bottle. I remember seeing it at Trader Joe's at the time.
Now, alas, its recent success among wine critics has led its winemaker to raise prices - it now will set you back around $55-60/bottle at Costco. But to my mind it still delivers on every penny.
It's a wine that is not for the faint of heart. It is tannic and full-bodied, best served with a bife de chorizo or some other choice cut of red meat. It is a deep and vibrant red. But for me it is the perfect example of what a high-class South American wine should be.
Don Melchor is a wine very much worth cherishing during a special meal with friends or family. And, even at current prices, a wine that continues to deliver good value.
