ALMAVIVA
THE BEST OF TWO CULTURES
Made from a blend of classic Bordeaux varieties, in which Cabernet Sauvignon predominates, Almaviva is the result of a felicitous encounter between two cultures.
Chile offers its soil, its climate and its vineyards, while France contributes its winemaking savoir-faire and traditions.
The result is an exceptionally elegant and complex wine. Its launch was a major milestone in the development of Chilean wines, both in Chile itself and in the international market.
VINTAGE
ASSEMBLAGE
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
CARMÉNÈRE
CABERNET FRANC
PETIT VERDOT
Barrel Aging: 18 Months, New French Oak.
VINTAGE NOTES
Vintage 2019 in Chile was magnificent, a worthy successor of the superb 2018, in line with the greatest Chilean vintages of the last twenty years.
The vintage was notably dry with only 150mm of rainfall measured in Puente Alto between May and September 2018, compared to historical figures of 262mm. During the same winter growing season, temperatures dropped lower than usual, pushing budbreak to occur a couple of weeks later than expected.
Temperatures increased in November at higher levels than usual before returning to normal in December. Spring was also very dry with 11mm of rainfall, followed by an extremely warm summer. The acute conditions of heat and drought obliged us to start irrigation early, monitoring it closely, managing the hydric stress with precision.
Veraison started a bit later than average but was fast and homogeneous. The initial late budding was misleading as it hinted at a late harvest. However, the first vines harvested arrived at maturity a week earlier than usual. Picking started on March 21st for the Merlot and March 27th for the youngest Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cooler temperatures in April slowed down the ripening of the old Cabernet Sauvignon vines and other varieties, which ultimately resulted in a long harvest period of 10 weeks, until the last of the Carménère was brought in on May 27th.
The drier than average vintage 2019 gave us smaller berries, superb for all our Bordeaux varieties, packed with rich color and intense flavor, wonderfully balanced, generous in fruit and tremendous in quality.
TASTING NOTES
Deep attractive dark ruby color.
The nose is pure, precise and focused, revealing delicate and fine aromas of raspberry, cassis, blackberry and wild strawberry, associated to subtle notes of liquorice, coffee, ink and earth.
The wine is juicy and voluminous, filling the mouth with polished and smooth tannins, leaving an overall impression of harmony, length and persistence. Its great structure and density are well balanced by good acidity, characteristic of the great terroir of Puente Alto that aligns ripeness and freshness in this
superb and exceptional vintage.
