NEWS

This edition's roundup of the news takes in the safari lifestyle of Menjangan Dynasty Resort, an elegant wine dinner at AYANA Resort and Spa BALI, the appointment of Yves Mudry as general manager of Raffles Jakarta and Nico Braunwalder as Hotel Manager at The St. Regis Bali Resort, the return for fasting month of The Ritz-carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place's Baharat and Circque du Soleil's KOOZA performance at Marina Bay Sands, and much more.

Regarded as one of the finest wineries in the world, Don Melchor continues to delight and astound wine lovers all over the world with its multiple awardwinning wines. Located at the foot of the Andes Mountains at 650m above sea level, the 127-ha vineyard cultivates mostly Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with varietals of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes. The grape plants for the vineyard were handpicked from choice vines originating from Bordeaux in the late 19th century. Carefully maintained and cultivated, the vineyard is made up of six blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and one block of Cabernet Franc which impart a classic depth of complexity to the resulting blend. The stony soil underfoot hinders excessive vegetative growth and limits fruit production. Each block is split into rows, which are monitored independently by Don Melchor's distinguished winemaker Enrique Torado.

Since his appointment as Don Melchor's exclusive winemaker, Enrique has carefully cultivated the vineyard with implementation of new vinification technologies and careful observation of the soils and climates to ensure the quality of harvest year after year. Each parcel is harvested under Enrique's watchful eye, with detailed laboratory analysis and grape tastings the standard. Aged in barrels for 12-15 months, the wine is then blended skilfully by Enrique. Under Enrique's perfectionist approach, Don Melchor has flourished; the winery's vintages achieving Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year seven times and achieving the highest ever score in the awards history for its 2012 vintage to win the prestigious James Suckling award.