In the same successful vein as Opus One, world-renowned Chilean producer Concho y Toro set up a joint venture in 1996 with Baron Phillippe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton-Rothschild to produce the definitive Chilean wine.
The resulting Almaviva is an iconic Bordeaux blend from some of the best vineyards in Maipo, which offer ideal conditions for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. Most of the vines were planted over 30 years ago, and the result is an exceptionally elegant and complex wine. Almaviva possesses the glorious plush fruit and polished structure of great Chilean terroir, while the French influence of first growth winemaking skill is evident in the wine’s precise execution.
The 2015 has received the highest score ever given for any vintage of Almaviva, James Suckling giving it a perfect score 100 points.
Since the first vintage in 1996, quality has been impeccable and this is a dead ringer for a classed growth Pauillac. With top Bordeaux commanding ever higher premiums this Chilean icon is a new-world steal.
**Available for delivery from November 2017**
Almaviva Maipo Valley 2015
£489.00 per 6 IB
A glorious and complex nose of tobacco, blackberries and hints of stones and flowers. Hints of bitter chocolate. Full-bodied, very tight and compacted. Linear backbone gives this form and tension. It has the same character on the palate as well as cayenne and other spice. Loved the 2014 but this shows more fine-grained tannins. So balanced and harmonious. A blend of 69% cabernet sauvignon, 24% carmenere, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Needs four or five years in bottle but a joy to taste now. 100/100 points. James Suckling