Almaviva 2024

- 98 Punkte JANE ANSON, Inside Bordeaux (07/2026): “ An exceptional vintage of Almaviva, this is fragrant and savoury, with wonderful lift through the palate, fennel, anis, raspberry puree, a succulent and balanced vintage of this wine. Michel Friou winemaker, Manuel Louzada director, jointly owned by Rothschild, Concha y Toro. 70% new oak for ageing. 2028-2040.“

- 98 Punkte James Suckling: " The 2024 Almaviva shows subtle exuberance with its hallmark restrained sweetness, with good depth of complexity and generosity. A touch of cedar and tobacco with sweet currants, berries and subtlety. Round and medium- to full-bodied, with the depth of cabernet sauvignon marrying the sweet spices from the carmenere. Structured yet fine-grained and polished. Very long finish. 70% cabernet sauvignon, 24% carmenere, 4% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Drink after 2027.“

- 97 Punkte Alistair Cooper MW by Catad'Or Wine Guide: “A bright and engaging nose here, with the Carménère really showing, alongside some ground coffee. On the palate it is rich, voluptuous and with a blend of toasty oak, cedar, sweet tobacco, layered pencil shavings and then the leafiness comes through—supple and whilst powerful the alcohol is well integrated, as is the oak. On opening in the glass there is a truffle note that appears, a subtle pyrazine lurking beneath on the rounded, lush finish. Impressive.“
 

- 17,5 Punkte Jancis Robinson: „70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenère, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Harvest: 25 March to 3 May. Released 9 September 2026.Quite rich but well balanced and with some freshness. At this point I prefer Epu (which costs half as much and includes fruit from some young vines and is given shorter oak ageing)! This is more youthful and more concentrated. 2028-2040.“

- 96 Punkte FALSTAFF (09/2026): „Dichtes verführerisches kraftvolles Bouquet, heller Tabak, Herzkirschen, Johannisbeeren, Preiselbeeren, Kräuter, zart Schokolade. Gute Dichte, saftig, viel feines süßes Tannin, gute Struktur, feiner Säurebogen, delikate charmante reife rotbeerige Frucht, Johannisbeeren, Waldbeeren, helle Kräuterwürze, edle helle Schokopralinen im Finish, lang.“

Bewertungen für den Jahrgang 2022: - 99 Punkte JAMES SUCKLING (11/2024): “What fabulous perfumed aromas of lavender, blackcurrants, graphite, tapenade and hints of sweet tobacco. So complex and sophisticated. Medium- to full-bodied with tannins that have an incredible finesse and length. It goes on for minutes. It’s all about elegance and class. There’s harmony and freshness for a dry year. Seductive and so long. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 23% carmenere, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drinkable now, but one for the cellar. Drink from 2028.”

- 96 Parkers Punkte WINE ADVOCATE, Matthew Laczy (08/2024): "The 2022 Almaviva leads with a brooding, woody nose with savory, roasted pepper aromas and pleasing top notes of lavender and dried herbs. The palate is dense, luscious and staining, with considerable concentration and opulence. The fi­nish continues this lush, layered opulence, concluding with supple, ­firm, unyielding tannins, welcomely braced with fresh acidity and herbal, menthol-tinged flourishes.
Despite its immediate richness, this is quite wound up, and it will take a few years to integrate its formidable tannins further. But it should be a joy to watch develop over the coming decade and beyond. It's a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carménère, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged for 20 months in 70% new French oak. Drink date: 2026 - 2037"
 

Bewertungen für den Jahrgang 2021: 

- 98 Punkte Tim Atkin MW: “Michel Friou compares the brilliant 2021 Almaviva to the 2018 and I think he’s right in terms of the quality and complexity of the Cabernet Sauvignon that sits at this wine’s core, even if the tannins are a little finer and less extracted here. A wine that’s proudly Chilean, it’s a pan-regional cuvée that partners Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot from Puente Alto with 22% Carmenère from Peumo. Cassis, mulberry and Mediterranean herb flavours of fennel and lavender are framed by deftly integrated new French oak, lots of texture and weight, bright acidity and minerality and a precise, focused finish. An impressive wine from one of the very best recent Chilean vintages. Drink 2028-40”

- 98 Punkte THE DRINKS BUSINESS: “Almaviva 2021 (Maipo Valley; 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Carménère, 5% Cabernet Franc; 2% Petit Verdot; 15% alcohol). The original hors Bordeaux to be released through la place and still one of the absolute superstars of any September campaign. It does not disappoint. This is incredibly refined and yet gloriously and effusively expressive aromatically – even if one has the very palpable sense of so much more still to be revealed. There is a radiant fresh florality here this is wonderfully enchanting and that intermingles with the prominent graphite, pencil shaving and cedar notes and, of course, that deep, dark, rich, plump but soft berry and stone fruit. There’s cracked black and Szechuan peppercorns and even a little hint of chili. The gossamer tannins are phenomenally fine-grained and yet exude that chalky grippy-ness that is so essential to both the mouthfeel and the finely chiselled and highly contoured and pixilated character of the wine. Gloriously refined and the very epitome of Bordeaux craft and sophistication. Utterly charming and beguiling just like the Mozart opera and the Beaumarchais play after one of whose lead characters the wine is, of course, named.”

- 97 Punkte MARKUS DEL MONEGO MW: “ Intense purple colour with violet hue and black core. Opulent yet elegant nose with multi-layered character. Elegant toasting, mocha nuances of tobacco and cedar wood, distinct fruit, blackcurrants, blackberries and sweet elderberries, hints of ripe plums in the background. Discreet hints of raspberries in the background. Complemented by aromatic herbs, hints of mint and incense. Discreet floral character. On the palate well-structured with ripe tannins, juicy fruit, fine toasting and balmy spices. Well-balanced with excellent depth and length. A powerful wine with freshness, great elegance and a very promising potential.”

- 96+ Punkte Robert Parkers WINE ADVOCATE, Luis Gutierrez: „2021 was an overall cooler year than 2020, with more elegant wines with more finesse and less angular tannins. The sleek 2021 Almaviva is a good example of that, still very young and still marked by the élevage in oak after spending 20 months in French oak barrels, 71% of them new and the rest only second use. The final blend was 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Carmenere (from Peumo), 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, a variety that might gain in percentage, as they have even planted some more with the idea to possibly replace Merlot in the medium or long term. It's not a shy wine, hitting the scale at 15% alcohol and with mellow acidity, 4.65 grams (tartaric) and a pH of 3.81 The fruit is dark, ripe and spicy, nothing green about it; it's a little shy, less expressive than the warmer years are early on and a little more discreet but with potential to develop in bottle. The tannins are still present, and it should benefit from some more time in bottle. The 2019 had more volume than the 2018, and the 2020 is closer to the 2019 than the 2018. 200,000 bottles produced. It was bottled between late January and early February 2023. I tasted it next to the 2020 and 2018, and it's closer to the latter; but this 2021 is more elegant, and 2018 is a little more austere and herbal.“

- 96 Punkte VINOUS, Joaquin Hidalgo: “The 2021 Almaviva is a blend primarily based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, but not limited to these, and was aged for up to 18 months in French barrels. Its color is garnet with a purple sheen. The enticing nose showcases blackberry, cassis marmalade, black and green pepper, ashes, camphor and cigar box aromas. Indulgent and rich on the palate, it carries taut, fine-grained tannins, velvet texture and balanced acidity, leading to a long, ripe finish. This bold and layered red wine reveals nuanced depth and richness on the palate, promising further development as it matures in the bottle. – By Joaquín Hidalgo on June 2023”