Almaviva: Tasting a New World ‘grand cru’
See Jane Anson's tasting notes and ratings for 12 vintages and read more about the history of this collaboration between two winemaking titans of France and Chile.
Almaviva was founded 20 years ago, in 1997 in Chile’s Maipo Valley. A collaboration between Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton Rothschild, and Concha y Toro, the goal was to create a ‘grand cru classé’ in Chile. Its first vintage was 1996.
Sixty hectares of suitable vineyards were identified in Puente Alta, the highest point in the valley, where mostly Cabernet Sauvignon is grown on the alluvial soils along with the other constituent grapes of Carmenère, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
Jane Anson’s Almaviva tasting notes:
All wines tasted in summer 2017.
Modern technology
A drip irrigation system has been installed underground in the vineyards to help the regulate water supply to the vines.
The modern winery is built around a gravity system, intended to foster a more gentle handling of the grapes and now being installed many of the top wineries around the world. Hand-sorting and pressing take place on the mezzanine level, before the juice is transferred to fermentation tanks below by gravity alone.
The wine is aged in new French oak barrels and fined with egg whites before bottling.
Almaviva’s winemaker is Michel Friou.
Copy by James Button. Updated 15/11/2017 with Jane Anson’s tasting notes for Decanter Premium members.
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Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2015
This latest release has 2% of Petit Verdot, adding a dash of dark pepper spice. It's a lovely wine, structured, intense but not tight, and...
2015
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2014
A wine that offers great balance thanks to a growing season that avoided extremes, although there were low yields - particularly with the Cabernet Sauvignon....
2014
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2013
A vintage where Cabernet Sauvignon dominates in terms of flavours, as Carmenère finds cooler years like 2013 a little tough. It's also a year where...
2013
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2012
A big hitter vintage, and boy can you tell. I love how these differ, blowing away the idea that Chile doesn't see vintage effect. Wonderful...
2012
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2010
Here are the markers of Maipo in a cooler vintage (90% of grapes were harvested in May) - still rich and exotic with gentle spice,...
2010
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2007
Winemaker Michel Friou came on board at the end of the harvest. This stood out in a lineup in Chile last year, but is a...
2007
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2005
Liquorice and olive notes abound, playing with ripe blueberries. A year with warm but not hot temperatures, giving a lovely balance. Charcoal and coffee beans...
2005
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2003
A slow ripening year, with cool nights and a fairly wet summer that bounced back to give a lovely dry harvest and an excellent intensity...
2003
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2002
Lots to enjoy here, with high aromatics from the off. Maipo was not so affected by the harvest rains as the rest of Chile and...
2002
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2001
A vintage that was generally lauded in Chile, with small berries giving concentration. Dark chocolate and olive paste flavours give a rich, dense impression through...
2001
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 1998
A difficult vintage due to El Nino, with a lot of rain in winter and lower temperatures overall than normal. There is a spicy nose,...
1998
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 1996
First vintage for the Concha Y Toro / Mouton Rothschild joint venture. Wisps of smoke and tar are evident, but this has held up extremely...
1996
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2015
This latest release has 2% of Petit Verdot, adding a dash of dark pepper spice. It's a lovely wine, structured, intense but not tight, and...
2015
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2014
A wine that offers great balance thanks to a growing season that avoided extremes, although there were low yields - particularly with the Cabernet Sauvignon....
2014
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2013
A vintage where Cabernet Sauvignon dominates in terms of flavours, as Carmenère finds cooler years like 2013 a little tough. It's also a year where...
2013
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2012
A big hitter vintage, and boy can you tell. I love how these differ, blowing away the idea that Chile doesn't see vintage effect. Wonderful...
2012
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2010
Here are the markers of Maipo in a cooler vintage (90% of grapes were harvested in May) - still rich and exotic with gentle spice,...
2010
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2007
Winemaker Michel Friou came on board at the end of the harvest. This stood out in a lineup in Chile last year, but is a...
2007
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2005
Liquorice and olive notes abound, playing with ripe blueberries. A year with warm but not hot temperatures, giving a lovely balance. Charcoal and coffee beans...
2005
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2003
A slow ripening year, with cool nights and a fairly wet summer that bounced back to give a lovely dry harvest and an excellent intensity...
2003
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2002
Lots to enjoy here, with high aromatics from the off. Maipo was not so affected by the harvest rains as the rest of Chile and...
2002
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 2001
A vintage that was generally lauded in Chile, with small berries giving concentration. Dark chocolate and olive paste flavours give a rich, dense impression through...
2001
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 1998
A difficult vintage due to El Nino, with a lot of rain in winter and lower temperatures overall than normal. There is a spicy nose,...
1998
AlmavivaPuente Alto
Almaviva, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley, Chile, 1996
First vintage for the Concha Y Toro / Mouton Rothschild joint venture. Wisps of smoke and tar are evident, but this has held up extremely...
1996
AlmavivaPuente Alto
