1995 Don Melchor

At age 27 the 1995 Don Melchor was showing surprisingly well. The blend that year was 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot, with 13.3% alcohol. The temperatures during the growing season were close to the average, and the rain was slightly lower. The minty and balsamic character has gown compared with the 1988 I tasted side by side with this. It was an average year in temperature but quite dry; it was a year of powerful wines, meaty and powerful, with that menthol, almost eucalyptus, note. The palate is spicy and with full body, with sweeter fruit, wider, with concentration and depth. It was bottled in October 1996 after some 12 months in French oak barrels, 65% of them new and 35% second use. 205,000 bottles produced.

Good weather conditions from first growth through harvest made for superior grape ripeness. Good sunlight allowed for proper photosynthesis and high polyphenol concentration. Precipitation from January through April was 30 mm, making for a good harvest. We waited for grapes to reach peak maturity, and harvested each sector at the right time. Vegetal, black cherry, smooth tannins, good balance and integration, slightest leafy tone, dry.  (RH)

Creamy black fruits can be found in the medium to dark ruby-colored 1995's aromas. This is a supple, silky-textured, medium to full-bodied wine that bastes the palate with sweet, creamy blackberries and cassis. It is seamless, broad, and harmonious. This beauty additionally possesses a long, pure, and soft finish. It is a wine I would like to insert into a blind tasting of St.-Estephes. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2015. Congratulations to Concha y Toro and winemaker Enrique Tirado for this fascinating and enlightening lineup of delicious wines. Importer: Banfi Vintners, Old Brookville, NY; tel. 516-626-9200