Descripción

Estamos ante uno de los mejores tintos chilenos, fruto de la colaboración franco-chilena entre la Baronesa Philippine de Rothschild y D. Eduardo Guilisasti (Viña Concha y Toro). Se elabora con un coupage de variedades clásicas bordelesas que se cultivan en Puente Alto, al sur de Santiago. Cuenta con una crianza de 18 meses, entregando una referencia de taninos sedosos y con carácter fresco y elegante.

 

Ficha técnica

La bodega
Tipo
Tinto
Añada
2018
Grado
15.0% vol.
Producción
200.000 botellas
Subzona
Puente Alto
Variedad
72% Cabernet sauvignon, 19% Carmenere, 6% Cabernet franc, 3% Petit verdot
Origen
Valle del Maipo

Cata

Vista
Color rubí oscuro.
Nariz
Aromas delicados y limpios de moras, grosellas y violeta, que se combinan con notas de tabaco, cedro y grano de café.
Boca
Amplio y equilibrado. Textura sedosa, acidez brillante y largo recorrido en boca.
Temperatura de servicio
Se recomienda servir a 16 ºC.
Consumo
Hasta 2035 si se conserva en óptimas condiciones.

Viñedo y elaboración

Clima
Una añada con un nivel de lluvias por encima de la media entre mayo y octubre de 2017. Según la propia bodega, se trata de la mejor cosecha de la década.
Cosecha
La vendimia manual comenzó el 26 de marzo y se prolongó durante 9 semanas.
Envejecimiento
Crianza de 18 meses en barrica nueva de roble francés.

Opinión de los críticos

The Wine Advocate:

My last Chile article questioned whether 2018 had been the best vintage of the last 20 years in the country, so I was very curious to taste the 2018 Almaviva. 2018 was a cooler year with more rain and a later budding and ripening of the grapes, especially in a cooler terroir close to the Andes, as is the case with Almaviva. The harvest was slow, as temperatures went down, further increasing the balance between freshness and ripeness of the grapes. The varietal breakdown is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Carmenère (from Peumo), 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The grapes ripened thoroughly, as the 14.9% alcohol of the final blend shows, a little higher than previous years and with similar readings of acidity. The wine feels quite complete and nicely crafted; they use all of their resources and technology to select the perfect grapes that ferment pristinely destemmed and crushed in stainless steel tanks at 25 to 28 degrees Celsius, mostly with selected yeasts. Malolactic was part in barrique and part in tank during the alcoholic fermentation. It matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, 73% of them new and the remaining 27% second use. It's a solid, well-built and seamless Almaviva, with clout and balance. 2018 was a more homogeneous vintage, globally considered one of the best in recent times in Chile. They identify a great vintage when they see more homogeneous quality in their different wines, and winemaker Michel Friou explained that this year some wines from three- or four-year-old vines were really good. It feels like a very complete wine, from a year when the seasons were marked and when the plant followed the development with almost textbook conditions—the grapes ripened thoroughly, developing more flavors and nuances while keeping the freshness. This is still a baby, extremely young and creamy, but it is still approachable; there are no edges, but what's remarkable is the balance and stuffing and all the necessary ingredients for a great development in bottle. This is quite different from 2016; it's a vintage with power and clout, a wine that has fruit and intensity and is balanced, without the concentration and tannins of the 2017. It’s a more complete year that combines the finesse of 2016 with more thorough ripeness. The spicy and peppery character comes through with some time in the glass. 200,000 bottles produced. It was bottled during the last week of January 2020.

Decanter:

Confident complexity on display here, fresh, powerful spicy notes of tobacco and grilled coffee beans alongside cool blueberry fruits. Winemaker Michel Friou has made a brilliant wine in this vintage that expands outwards through the palate. 100% new oak. Blend completed with 3% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2023 - 2042

James Suckling:

This is such a beautifully nuanced red with tobacco, dried herbs, wet earth and currants. Some leather and rose petals, too. Full-bodied and chewy, yet refined with great polish. It’s rich and intense at the same time. Very focused center palate. Broad layers of tannin and fruit. A blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon, 19% carmenere, 6% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. Better after 2024, but already a joy to taste.