In 1997, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, and Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle, Chairman of Viña Concha y Toro S.A., sealed a partnership agreement with a view to create an exceptional Franco-Chilean wine called Almaviva. The rest is history. Not only did the 2017 vintage achieve a perfect score from James Suckling, it was awarded the prestigious Wine of the Decade designation. You’ll want to make room on your top shelf for some of these bottles winelovers…

The wine has been a labor of love by chief winemaker Michel Friou, a Chilean industry veteran and native Frenchman who joined the single-wine estate in 2007.

The presence of carmenere derived from a happy accident. Back in 1978, the estate originally thought it planted merlot and cabernet sauvignon vines as its two primary varietals. But, due to a nationwide mix-up across Chile’s vineyards, the estate later learned that their merlot vines were actually carmenere.

The accidental inclusion of carmenere created a unique legacy for Almaviva’s single-estate wines, which are neither wholly New World nor Old World, but somewhere in between. It works beautifully in the glass, too: the winery has scooped up several 94-plus scores from James Suckling over the past decade, achieving his highest praise twice in two years. “We are so cognizant of what we need to do to make great wines,” Friou says. “It’s about small changes. It’s all about the details.”

Blend – 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenere, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot

Ageing – 19 months in new French oak, 78% New

The 2012 Vintage: The 2012 vintage was dry, with only 200 mm of rainfall between May through October 2011 in Puente Alto, which was two-thirds of a typical year.
With September being warmer than usual, bud break occurred earlier for Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carménère. However, the lower temperatures in October resulted in a delayed bud break for the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Summer was hot, dry and warmer than the previous two years, with veraison occurring 10 days earlier than normal. March was particularly hot, with the average maximum temperature among the highest historical figures. Understandably, the 2012 harvest started two weeks earlier than usual. It began on March 15th for the first Merlot and ended on May 18th for the last Carménère. However, most of the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked under lower temperatures, from April 17th through May 14th, as well as for the Carménère from May 8th through 18th.
All of these peculiar conditions favored a great and healthy quality of fruit, with optimal levels of ripeness, concentration and purity.

Deep, intense and attractive ruby red color. The bouquet is pure and forward, revealing clean aromas of blackberries, blackcurrant and licorice, associated with subtle notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, incense and spices.
The mouth feel is generous with round, concentrated and refined tannins, underlining a plenitude of ripe fruit. The wine is polished, elegant and focused, ending in a long, dense and fleshy finish. The overall result is a complex and powerful wine, persistent, layered and well balanced.

James Suckling – 96 points

A young red that shows dark and intense fruits overflowing from the glass with aromas that diffuses into spices, nuts and iron. Also dusty like the vineyards of Puente Alto on a hot summer’s afternoon. Full body, ultra-fine tannins and a gorgeous wet clay, currant and blackberry aftertaste. Very refined and pretty texture. Bordeaux blend. Better in 2017.

Decanter – 94 points

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 levels of spice here, and a great sense of lift that balances the high alcohol. Luscious mocha and cassis flavours mingle with deeply concentrated liquorice root and coffee. Full of pleasure.

Wine Spectator – 92 points

An elegant and refined red, showing concentrated cherry and plum flavors that take on meaty accents. Savory notes cascade through the creamy and focused finish. Very Bordeaux-like. Drink now through 2020.

Wine Enthusiast – 92 points

Warm-vintage characteristics of earthy berry aromas require time to come into focus. In the mouth, this Cabernet Sauvignon blend feels ripe, chunky and lush. Loamy, baked plum and cassis flavors are rich and easy, but short on the complexity that Almaviva usually offers. On the finish, this is smooth, lightly herbal and spicy. Drink through 2022.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate – 93 points

2012 was particularly dry in Puente Alto, the main appellation in Maipo where the 2012 Almaviva was produced. There was two-thirds of the normal rain and an early season in all senses: bud breaking to harvest, although the end of the picking was delayed and the late-ripening varieties, Carménère and Cabernet, were picked at cooler temperatures. Being close to the Andes Mountains, the zone is always later than other zones like Colchagua. It kind of became normal with lower temperatures in April after a very warm March and things slowed down. The blend in 2012 was 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carménère, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% /Merlot. The grapes are never pumped, and fermented in stainless steel vats with a total cuvaison of three to four weeks. The wine matured in 78% new French oak barrels for 19 months. As almost 90% of the grapes were picked at cooler temperatures, the wine does not really show in excess the heat of the vintage, certainly less than in other warm vintages in the past. There are notes of Mediterranean herbs and hints of tree bark over a core of ripe berries. The particularity of this terroir is to be able to achieve freshness because of its proximity to the mountains, and the ripening is slow. Winemaker Michel Friou tells me that 2012 is somehow similar to 2015, where the record temperatures in March were again surpassed. This 2012 is quite approachable, with its round and abundant tannins and soft acidity, flavors of ripe berries, good freshness and balance. This is less powerful and approachable than the 2011.