Drank on 2023 - 2024 new year's eve. Color is dark ruby, viscous tears. Aromas are pronounced with layers of red and dark fruits, cassis, plums, elegant nose. Tastewise balanced on some components, big tannins smooth and not aggressive, medium acidity, dry. Some sweetness on the entry, full bodied, complex flavors and it shows neatly on the palate, finish is long with much fruit left. Enjoyable.
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Not sure what happened here, but this bottle had ugly sulfur notes and was really stinky. Not really drinkable. Lots of swirling and air didn't help much. I guess this bottle wasn't representative.
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Part of a small Napa 2015 vintage horizontal, focusing on Realm and Bevan. My main observations were that 2015 is more extracted and ripe than 2014 or 2016, less elegant but with more weight. The wines were generally open and in a good spot, but still all primary. Tannin structures are soft
Tasting note: Tasted blind. This was the pirate in the line-up and clearly failed to impress. Notes of dried earth and dried earth along with fruit of plum and bramble berry provide for a dark profile overall. Most distinguishing was the heavy mineral base which came across almost petrol-like with notes of sulfur, at times even leaning somewhat towards foul eggs. The palate showed a medicinal aftertaste, but was more fresh than anticipated thanks to a nice acidic structure. Not bad in the end and with some intriguing features, but still struggling to wrap my head around what’s going on here…
Not sure 2015 is the best reflection of Almaviva. A good wine, but on the heavy side with massive fruit and not a ton of balance. Great fruit profile for sure, but these are usually great Bordeaux ringers and this was not that. enjoyable yes, not a great Almaviva thoug, they make exceptional wine and many vinatges are better than this
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Expressive, full bodied and fruit forward with plum, black currants and dark chocolate notes. This wine is simply amazing...like a first growth right bank Bordeaux. Hints of tobacco, cinnamon and oak on the very long finish. Wish I had bought more of this.
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Decanted 3 hours. It's a good wine. I think it is already worth opening a bottle. I agree with the previous comments, it is not the most complex wine, but it is still easy to drink. I am curious to see how the wine will develop further. 92+ pts. at the moment.
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Recent notes on this wine have been more positive so decided to give it a try on Super Bowl Sunday with some friends. Three hour decant at home and then back into the bottle to drink at a friends house where we again poured it into a decanter. It seemed like the perfect amount of air but was in no danger of suffering with more decanting time. The wine itself was dark in color, very balanced, dark fruited with a long finish. I wish I had more descriptors but no notes at the time and everyone really enjoyed it so it went quickly. Perhaps not all the complexity yet for a wine of this reputation, but I am not sure I agree with the QPR comments. I think it easily stands up to other new world wines in that price bracket and will likely continue to evolve.
Few things leave me speechless. Just drinking one of them. A nose that is amazingly wide-ranging and elegant, but still reveals the Cabernet that is too high in alcohol. And then a palate that simply knocks me out. Extremely complex, rosewood, currants, shaved pencil, plums, everything massive and intense. I would expect such palate only from a very great Bordeaux. Chapeau. The nose is 96-97. The palate is 105 of 100. What a WOW. Btw...Parker calls this the weakest Almaviva between 2013 and now...try this one now and You wonder, like me, why people pay for wine comments that are obvious non-sense. Addition 08.02.2023: Just finished another bottle. I have tested different wine glasses. Extremely strong differences on the nose and quite strong differences on the palate. Only with one glass was the excellent experience reproducible. Other world-famous glasses, on the other hand, clearly fell short.
The best wine from Chile I have drunk this year. Very nice Cabernet. Lots of cassis. Multidimensional. An elegant symbiosis of sweet tannins and ripe fruit. The nose is a little less broad in contrast to the palate.
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Dark fruits and overall reasonably nice balance and structure with integrated tannins. There is a prominent flavor that does not agree with me, perhaps the flavor of pine or cedar.
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Pronounced nose intensity with notes of fig, prunes, cassis, vanilla, spices. Full body and long finish. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Tannin is smooth and polished.
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As recent as in 1997, Baroness Rothschild and Don Alfonso Larrain (Concha y Toro) created a Franco-Chilean winery called.. Almaviva. There's a 50 Ha vineyard planted with these Bordeaux grape varieties; Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Carmenere.
The BPDR.com literature describes that Chile offers its soil, whilst France brings its winemaking prowness and heritage.
In a 2 Bordeaux v this Chilean Bordeaux Blend shoot-out last night, this came up trumps! And that includes TC's 2nd growth Leoville Las Cases 2004, showing what an effort and achievement was made by the Chileans.
Aromatic nose of flowers with some gravel, and hints of tobacco too. Then wave after wave of bitter and milk chocolate hits your palate, and along with the full-bodied blackberry and blackcurrant notes of this Almaviva 2015, its pure decadence. The finish is smooth and super long, with a creamy like end.
2015 was both a dry and warm year, which clearly shows in this 2015 Almaviva which is both ripe and full bodied, with a super pleasant sweet finish. Made from a blend of 69% CS, 24% Carménère, 5% C Franc and a hint of 2% Petit Verdot. Matured in 82% new barriques for 18 months.
Compared with 2014, 2015 yielded larger grapes and bunches, and winemaker Michel Friou achieved better balance - Described as having a better ratio of skin to juice that is more balanced than in years when the grapes are smaller and might produce very tannic wines!
Tannins are refined and the balance of acids is just excellent, and I am not surprised James Suckling rated this his Number 1 wine of 2007 in his Top 100. Even Jancis Robinson described this Chilean effort as having more satisfaction when compared to many Bordeaux 2015s!
My view on the cellaring time, yes this may only be just into its first drinking window, with at least another 10 years ahead of it, but it is so voluptuous yet sensual now, it would be hard to resist having it this or next year!
Thanks very much to bro FT for generously opening this for us, at the farewell meal for YSL and TC. And only 1 day after he popped a Beaucastel CdP 2009 for the same crowd as well, how blessed!
Mighty nose. Black Fruits. Spices. Massive body and heavy on the palate. Yet too young. Complexity is too little for a better score. But very very pleasant yet, indeed.
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With all the variation in the tasting notes, I didn't want to take any chance so I decided to open this bottle sooner than later. I'm glad I did, it was excellent, but without the wow factor I was hoping for. It's basically a big juicy Cab, reminiscent of a Napa Cab, but with a Chilean twist because of the Carménère. High and polished tannins, but lacking some acidity...which makes the wine a bit flabby. I was also hoping for a bit more complexity. Overall, a good and "fun" wine...but not worth the price. You can find the same quality (even better), at one quarter of the price. Supporting my current perception of James Suckling...BS, BS and more BS (for Bad Suckling...;))
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Good wine, but what a disappointment. A $150 bottle with a $60 nose & a $30 palate. The nose was excellent, reminiscent of Napa Cabernet, rich, a little jammy, with loads of cassis. The palate? OK. Nice, soft, smooth, but just not much character & quite short. I give it a 90 based on the nose alone, but would never buy again (I did NOT pay full price on this...thankfully!)
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I agree with what Dave said.. First pour when opened was great. Dark fruits, espresso, and tea leaves. I just left the cork off for 5 hours, so not even a true decant. Once I revisited it was one dimensional. Nice fruit but no complexity. I am not sure if this is in a dumb phase. I love Almaviva and have had it many, many times. 10-15 years of age and this wine is banging usually. I am confused. Either in a dumb phase or the 2015 Almamvia is not a great wine. I will hold my other bottles for more years(even though my last tasting note said dont open for 10 years, I lasted 10 months:))
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Great and super drinkable wine right now. Balanced vivid fruit. Nose is super. Nice tobacco and leather. Rich and flavorful wine that is so enjoyable with or without food. I don’t know all the right descriptors. I drink a lot of great wine and know what I like and what I don’t. This was the first of my case and I will be drinking more in the year.
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So much going on with this wine. Further aging will improve this new world wine made in old world style. Very herbaceous and with the right amount of acidity to keep the tannic structure in balance. Very much left bank BDX in style and will continue to improve as the tannins resolve. Seems to be entering an early second drinking window. Drink with a long decant or hold.
I believe this wine is reaching its peak. For the first 10 minutes after cork pop, there really wasn't much of a nose out of the bottle. After 30 minutes, it was doing well. Roasted black fruit, fig newton, dates. This wine was full bodied, herbal in the middle with a tar and tobacco. Finished white soft, full-bodied. A hint of roasted tannin but I feel this is integrating well. I think it will slowly show itself over the next 7 to 10 years perhaps even a little bit more than it did for us tonight, and it did so very well. Okay
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So decided to open my second (and last bottle) after the deception of my first. I tasted this wine initially at a Wine Spectator event around 3-4 years ago, I rated it very highly then, maybe I bought a couple of 'off' bottle, however, I do believe that it was showing well then and just dropped off over time, I doubt this will get better. I know many critics love this wine, however, I just feel it falls short on so many levels. The nose was rather pleasant though, with notes of dark plum, cherries, dark chocolate, baking spices, graphite, and herbaceous notes. The palate was rich, powerful and slightly creamy, yet the balance did feel off with the dark plush fruit, sweet spices, mocha notes being overrun by aggressive acidity which felt slightly unbalanced. The tannins were ripe along with a dry and concentrated mid-palate and the finish fell a little too short. I decanted this wine for 5 hours, I feel the mistakes of this wine were due to the winemaking and not the vineyard. I always thought this was one of the top wines of Chile, yet I believe now that goes to Clos Apalta. This is certainly not worth the money I paid for it. So why gives this 90 points and not lower? Because potential is there, and with a little more work I believe Almaviva will produce a fantastic wine, just not today.
So I was pretty disappointed by this bottle, I believe it had VA or some sort of Cork Taint but I could be off, I honestly don't know what the fault was, however, the nose certainly smelt like a little nail polish..the palate had minimal fruit, with no classic secondary aromas, this certainly was not in a good spot and even after 4 hours decanting the wine hardly changed.The balance was pretty horrible. :(
Plenty of fruits with lots of tannin. Well balanced with distinctive quince note, with pleasant long finish. I believe this wine’s drinking window is open.
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This is 10 years too young but Coravin'd a glass. Massive amount of espresso, coffee, chocolate and chewy tannin. I would be stumped in a blind. Very napa on some notes and bordeaux on others. I love these wines and they always deliver. Great cost per quality. Just too damn young. Will not open another bottle for at least 8 years. Will go another 20+ easy. Well made
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Tasted double blind. My guess was Napa Valley Cab as this wine has a ripe (but not too ripe) fruit profile with baking spices you usually find in young Napas. At some point it reminded me of the 2018 Calon Segur. What I really like is that despite the boldness of the flavors, the full-bodiness, the wine remains elegant and is not too bold or extracted. This got high praise from critics and I can see why. Certainly the best red wine from Chile I’ve had to date (my sample size – to be fair – is not that big).
TN: Lots of cherries, red currant, baking spices, other spices (cinnamon), smoke, cola, a layer of minerality on the nose and palate. It is complex and very well defined. The fruit is ripe but remains fresh and clean. The structure is marked by a wall of fine tannins and a superb, well-integrated freshness. This is very balanced and was gettinger softer and more elegant by the minute, no alcohol detectable whatsoever.
Decanting: This spent 3 hours in the decanter and was good from the go. It improved further in the glass and hence I would rather decant it more in advance or increase the time in the decanter to 5 hours.
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3h decant but I think 4h+ would make more sense - or wait another 3-5 years. Intense cherry fruit, sweet oak aromatics of cinnamon and baking spices and carbonated water such as coca cola. Over time bits of leather start to make their way through the dense fruity underwood. Fine layers of fresh herbs are a constant companion. A very fresh palate, not perfectly integrated yet, but otherwise lean without any excess fat. This is a really good, not entirely ready yet.
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Decanted for about three hours. Probably not sufficient at this stage of maturity. I would suggest at least four to six hours. This is a well constructed wine (not a surprise based on its pedigree). The nose has some minerality and baking spices. The palate is similar with mid palate notes of pepper. I think this is best opened in another two or three years.
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At 5 years tasting more developed than when first released when it did not appear to have the longevity of a Bordeaux styled wind. Nose is still young and a bit closed but some berry fruit. Tastes now showing light tannins, less forward fruit. Bought this as a birth wine, will be watching if this has ability to mature and last to > 20 years.
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2015 Viña Almaviva S.A. Almaviva has a dark red/black core and a reddish-brown rim. It features a wonderfully expressive nose of cassis, pencil shavings, bell pepper, black pepper, cigar box, espresso, and leather. Medium bodied with balanced acidity and a long bitter espresso bean finish. The Bordeaux influences shine through here, but still uniquely evocative of the South American terroir. If you have four bottles or more then I would drink 1 today because it is really interesting today. This will be long lasting. We drank after a 4 hour decant.
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Method: Decanted for 3 hours, then poured into little 4oz glass bottles to distribute for a virtual blind tasting (COVID-19) 3 hours later. Tasted semi-blind (I knew it was 1 of my 3 bottles I opened). Drank out of Cab glass. Starting drinking at around 62 degrees.
Look: DEEP ruby; slow legs
Nose: raspberry, jalapeno, paprika; very expressive
Palate: huge raspberry, leather, slight paprika, slight bell pepper; excellent depth and concentration of flavor; long finish of leather and raspberry; full body with med+ fine round tannins, which create a wonderfully sexy mouthfeel; medium acidity; dry; excellent balance
Day 2: the fruit pretty much faded to second fiddle and the paprika and bell pepper notes were more at the forefront, but otherwise the wine was very similar, maintaining it's wonderful balance and mouthfeel.
Overall thoughts: Debated between 95 - 96 points. Excellent, supremely polished and luxurious wine, which still manages to clearly show its distinct Chilean terroir. I was concerned I might be opening this too early, but unless you hate fruit or strongly prefer mature wines, you should not hesitate to open a bottle of this soon as it's showing excellently after a good decant. I have two bottles left and I'm excited to see where the wine goes, even though I wouldn't be the least bit disappointed if it plateaued where it's currently at.
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Poured through an aerator into a decanter, drank 4 hours later. Tannins were soft, excellent and enjoyable to drink. Medium to full body, not overwhelming, elegant. Dark red. Such a rich and beautiful array of nuances and notes, hard to describe and none is overwhelming. Figs, plums, licorice, dark chocolate, coffee, cassis, and a long list more. Really excellent. Will get some 2017 now. Does it deserve the 100 that James Suckling gave it? Perhaps in a few years? I have too little experience with 100 pointers to truly know, but I am sure glad that I have a few more of this one.
4 hour decant and tasted blind with 6 other wines. This came in 2nd, right after a 2015 La Jota (which was also decanted 4 hours).
The nose is tar and green bell pepper city; almost no fruit on the nose. However on the palette, this explodes with balanced dark fruit, leather, cigar box, crushed rock. It reminded me a lot of Howell Mountain.
The chewy tannin reminds you that you're drinking this far too young and it's not even close to fully expressing it's potential.
This is an exceptional effort, and I am looking forward to picking more up and holding for 10-20.
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Agree with doughboy. Wasn’t giving much after pop and swirl in the glass but after aeration and some time in the decanter it was excellent. The quality of the venture between the Chile and the Rothchilds shows through. Beautiful cedar, coffee and tobacco flavors. Some darker fruit flavors black cherry? This will also benefit from a couple more years in bottle.
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Tasted out of the bottle and over an hour and a half. Cedar, macerated cherry, espresso, w a long finish. Very elegant. The influence of a top Bordeau producer comes through. Terrific. Don’t make the mistake of judging this wine without aeration.
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Good wine although I'm not sure i would give it the hype (100 score, best in world) that has been accorded it. Berry fruit forward and less tannins than i would have expected for a really long lived wine. I went very long this on a wine store recommendation, i hope it gets more developed.
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Deep ruby red. Fantastic, expressive nose showing tones burnt chestnuts, vanilla, green bell pepper, garam masala and loads of black fruit. Very approachable and easy-drinking at this stage. Oak is used here perfectly and dances around with the fruit through the whole wine. Ripe character, no over-extraction. A touch of bitterness on the long finish that 99% of Bordeaux have. A more than reasonable priced wine that offers a high level of complexity and balance. Perfectly representative of the style Almaviva's goes for every vintage.
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I loved reading the line from Matt Scott (below)... "haute couture in a glass..." So true. This wine is incredible. And while rating are all subjective, I would have a hard time understanding why anyone would be critical of this wine. So smooth and refined. Wonderful fruit, earth and tobacco. A lovely long finish with supple tannins. Age will treat this oh so well.
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Voluptuous and haute couture in a glass, this shows so much elegance and refinement. Blackberries, river rock, pipe tobacco, flower shop and a little chocolate pudding. A gliding and long finish, with a very polished middle, then showing round tannin structure throughout. So enjoyable now, this is a mere baby that has all of the needed components to age very well. A Chilean legend. Drink 2022 - 2037.
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New York Wine Experience 2018 (New York Marriott Marquis): Wow! Lush plum, cherry a little chocolate and spice. This is really phenomenal in every sense, perfectly balanced, even at this age. Balance is perfect and the length lasts minutes, wow. Already bought some. 97-98
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Wine Spectator newbies; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (Marriott Marquis): This was again the very fruity and intense style of wine. Slightly lower acidity. We tried one of these (different year) when we were in Chile and it was my favorite wine from that country. In this company though it didn't stand out in the same way.
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The 2015 Almaviva is a total beauty, which impresses on all levels. Year after year this Bordeaux inspired red from Puente Alto in the Maipo Valley is one of Chile's finest wines and it certainly does not disappoint in this vintage. Composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenere, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot which spent 18 Months in new French oak. The resulting wine begins with striking aromas of ripe blackberries, dark cherries, tobacco, spices, fresh violets, expresso bean and a lovely herb character all come together in the glass. This leads to a gorgeous full-bodied and remarkably structured wine, backed by gorgeous polished tannins which are seamlessly integrated. Balanced, concentrated and tremendously complex, this is a complete success from this estate which should have a wonderful future ahead.
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Approachable but definitely too young to be at its potential. Found myself getting tired of flavor profile after two glasses. Will check back in a few years.
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Icon Chilean bottle, joint effort of Concha Y Toro and Rothschild. Cab, Carmenere, Cab Franc blend from Puento Alto. Pyrazine driven, smoky, ripe fruit, blackberry, firm tannin. Really good, but could we move it retail?
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James Suckling - Great Wines of the Andes (The Presidio, SF): 69% cabernet sauvignon, 24% carmenere, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Even though there's no Malbec, this smells like Malbec. Ripe black fruit and green weedy plum. But then the palate hits with lots of vanilla spice and a polished impressive finish. Ripe structure. Feels like it has some RS but that could be ripeness and oak. Big. Plush. Not my favorite style, but a good example.
3/16/2024 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 93 Points
we liked the 2006 a little more but this peppery carminiere blend was a prominent contributor to an elegant meal at tango sur
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12/31/2023 - Bryan A wrote: 93 Points
Drank on 2023 - 2024 new year's eve. Color is dark ruby, viscous tears. Aromas are pronounced with layers of red and dark fruits, cassis, plums, elegant nose. Tastewise balanced on some components, big tannins smooth and not aggressive, medium acidity, dry. Some sweetness on the entry, full bodied, complex flavors and it shows neatly on the palate, finish is long with much fruit left. Enjoyable.
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10/8/2023 - millerarner wrote: 91 Points
Meh.
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9/3/2023 - Cailles wrote: flawed
Not sure what happened here, but this bottle had ugly sulfur notes and was really stinky. Not really drinkable. Lots of swirling and air didn't help much. I guess this bottle wasn't representative.
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8/28/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 89 Points
Part of a small Napa 2015 vintage horizontal, focusing on Realm and Bevan. My main observations were that 2015 is more extracted and ripe than 2014 or 2016, less elegant but with more weight. The wines were generally open and in a good spot, but still all primary. Tannin structures are soft
Tasting note:
Tasted blind. This was the pirate in the line-up and clearly failed to impress. Notes of dried earth and dried earth along with fruit of plum and bramble berry provide for a dark profile overall. Most distinguishing was the heavy mineral base which came across almost petrol-like with notes of sulfur, at times even leaning somewhat towards foul eggs. The palate showed a medicinal aftertaste, but was more fresh than anticipated thanks to a nice acidic structure. Not bad in the end and with some intriguing features, but still struggling to wrap my head around what’s going on here…
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7/11/2023 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not sure 2015 is the best reflection of Almaviva. A good wine, but on the heavy side with massive fruit and not a ton of balance. Great fruit profile for sure, but these are usually great Bordeaux ringers and this was not that. enjoyable yes, not a great Almaviva thoug, they make exceptional wine and many vinatges are better than this
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5/24/2023 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Expressive, full bodied and fruit forward with plum, black currants and dark chocolate notes. This wine is simply amazing...like a first growth right bank Bordeaux. Hints of tobacco, cinnamon and oak on the very long finish. Wish I had bought more of this.
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5/4/2023 - Romol Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours. It's a good wine. I think it is already worth opening a bottle. I agree with the previous comments, it is not the most complex wine, but it is still easy to drink. I am curious to see how the wine will develop further. 92+ pts. at the moment.
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2/12/2023 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Recent notes on this wine have been more positive so decided to give it a try on Super Bowl Sunday with some friends. Three hour decant at home and then back into the bottle to drink at a friends house where we again poured it into a decanter. It seemed like the perfect amount of air but was in no danger of suffering with more decanting time.
The wine itself was dark in color, very balanced, dark fruited with a long finish. I wish I had more descriptors but no notes at the time and everyone really enjoyed it so it went quickly. Perhaps not all the complexity yet for a wine of this reputation, but I am not sure I agree with the QPR comments. I think it easily stands up to other new world wines in that price bracket and will likely continue to evolve.
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1/23/2023 - jusuf Likes this wine: 99 Points
Few things leave me speechless. Just drinking one of them.
A nose that is amazingly wide-ranging and elegant, but still reveals the Cabernet that is too high in alcohol. And then a palate that simply knocks me out. Extremely complex, rosewood, currants, shaved pencil, plums, everything massive and intense. I would expect such palate only from a very great Bordeaux. Chapeau. The nose is 96-97. The palate is 105 of 100. What a WOW. Btw...Parker calls this the weakest Almaviva between 2013 and now...try this one now and You wonder, like me, why people pay for wine comments that are obvious non-sense.
Addition 08.02.2023: Just finished another bottle. I have tested different wine glasses. Extremely strong differences on the nose and quite strong differences on the palate. Only with one glass was the excellent experience reproducible. Other world-famous glasses, on the other hand, clearly fell short.
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1/1/2023 - Wadstedt79 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smooth as velvet and in a great drinking window.
Appreciate it very much but find it hard to motivate a 180 € price tag.
95 P
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12/26/2022 - Geniesser64 wrote: 94 Points
Hatte leider einen schweren Stand gegen den 2016er Seña..... Macht aber trotzdem Freude!
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12/14/2022 - jusuf Likes this wine: 98 Points
Seems to be now at the top.
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12/1/2022 - jusuf Likes this wine: 96 Points
The best wine from Chile I have drunk this year. Very nice Cabernet. Lots of cassis. Multidimensional. An elegant symbiosis of sweet tannins and ripe fruit. The nose is a little less broad in contrast to the palate.
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10/14/2022 - bbq_grandcru wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruits and overall reasonably nice balance and structure with integrated tannins. There is a prominent flavor that does not agree with me, perhaps the flavor of pine or cedar.
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10/14/2022 - Sean Tay wrote: 94 Points
Pronounced nose intensity with notes of fig, prunes, cassis, vanilla, spices. Full body and long finish. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Tannin is smooth and polished.
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9/4/2022 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 94 Points
As recent as in 1997, Baroness Rothschild and Don Alfonso Larrain (Concha y Toro) created a Franco-Chilean winery called.. Almaviva. There's a 50 Ha vineyard planted with these Bordeaux grape varieties; Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Carmenere.
The BPDR.com literature describes that Chile offers its soil, whilst France brings its winemaking prowness and heritage.
In a 2 Bordeaux v this Chilean Bordeaux Blend shoot-out last night, this came up trumps! And that includes TC's 2nd growth Leoville Las Cases 2004, showing what an effort and achievement was made by the Chileans.
Aromatic nose of flowers with some gravel, and hints of tobacco too. Then wave after wave of bitter and milk chocolate hits your palate, and along with the full-bodied blackberry and blackcurrant notes of this Almaviva 2015, its pure decadence. The finish is smooth and super long, with a creamy like end.
2015 was both a dry and warm year, which clearly shows in this 2015 Almaviva which is both ripe and full bodied, with a super pleasant sweet finish. Made from a blend of 69% CS, 24% Carménère, 5% C Franc and a hint of 2% Petit Verdot. Matured in 82% new barriques for 18 months.
Compared with 2014, 2015 yielded larger grapes and bunches, and winemaker Michel Friou achieved better balance - Described as having a better ratio of skin to juice that is more balanced than in years when the grapes are smaller and might produce very tannic wines!
Tannins are refined and the balance of acids is just excellent, and I am not surprised James Suckling rated this his Number 1 wine of 2007 in his Top 100. Even Jancis Robinson described this Chilean effort as having more satisfaction when compared to many Bordeaux 2015s!
My view on the cellaring time, yes this may only be just into its first drinking window, with at least another 10 years ahead of it, but it is so voluptuous yet sensual now, it would be hard to resist having it this or next year!
Thanks very much to bro FT for generously opening this for us, at the farewell meal for YSL and TC. And only 1 day after he popped a Beaucastel CdP 2009 for the same crowd as well, how blessed!
Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar, Malaysia - 4 Sep 2022
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3/15/2022 - jusuf Likes this wine: 96 Points
Mighty nose. Black Fruits. Spices. Massive body and heavy on the palate. Yet too young. Complexity is too little for a better score. But very very pleasant yet, indeed.
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2/26/2022 - Mikecu6 wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful dark color. Spice, peppery, earthy, leathery. Should get better with age
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12/27/2021 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 91 Points
With all the variation in the tasting notes, I didn't want to take any chance so I decided to open this bottle sooner than later. I'm glad I did, it was excellent, but without the wow factor I was hoping for. It's basically a big juicy Cab, reminiscent of a Napa Cab, but with a Chilean twist because of the Carménère. High and polished tannins, but lacking some acidity...which makes the wine a bit flabby. I was also hoping for a bit more complexity. Overall, a good and "fun" wine...but not worth the price. You can find the same quality (even better), at one quarter of the price. Supporting my current perception of James Suckling...BS, BS and more BS (for Bad Suckling...;))
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12/24/2021 - Wine-is-Art Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine, but what a disappointment. A $150 bottle with a $60 nose & a $30 palate. The nose was excellent, reminiscent of Napa Cabernet, rich, a little jammy, with loads of cassis. The palate? OK. Nice, soft, smooth, but just not much character & quite short. I give it a 90 based on the nose alone, but would never buy again (I did NOT pay full price on this...thankfully!)
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12/15/2021 - cebo2hot wrote: 96 Points
Agree, drink now. Juicy smooth and delicious.
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11/21/2021 - zimmy07 wrote:
I agree with what Dave said.. First pour when opened was great. Dark fruits, espresso, and tea leaves. I just left the cork off for 5 hours, so not even a true decant. Once I revisited it was one dimensional. Nice fruit but no complexity. I am not sure if this is in a dumb phase. I love Almaviva and have had it many, many times. 10-15 years of age and this wine is banging usually. I am confused. Either in a dumb phase or the 2015 Almamvia is not a great wine. I will hold my other bottles for more years(even though my last tasting note said dont open for 10 years, I lasted 10 months:))
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10/22/2021 - Dave D Likes this wine: 92 Points
liked better when bottle first opened than after decant 3 hours later
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8/22/2021 - TonyCanova Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great and super drinkable wine right now. Balanced vivid fruit. Nose is super. Nice tobacco and leather. Rich and flavorful wine that is so enjoyable with or without food. I don’t know all the right descriptors. I drink a lot of great wine and know what I like and what I don’t. This was the first of my case and I will be drinking more in the year.
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8/22/2021 - G_H wrote: 94 Points
Fully ready and approachable, beautiful cassis notes, dark berries, good mouthfeel, medium+ length. Delicious!
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8/14/2021 - UFGators Likes this wine: 94 Points
So much going on with this wine. Further aging will improve this new world wine made in old world style. Very herbaceous and with the right amount of acidity to keep the tannic structure in balance. Very much left bank BDX in style and will continue to improve as the tannins resolve. Seems to be entering an early second drinking window. Drink with a long decant or hold.
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7/10/2021 - mflesh wrote: 94 Points
I believe this wine is reaching its peak. For the first 10 minutes after cork pop, there really wasn't much of a nose out of the bottle. After 30 minutes, it was doing well. Roasted black fruit, fig newton, dates. This wine was full bodied, herbal in the middle with a tar and tobacco. Finished white soft, full-bodied. A hint of roasted tannin but I feel this is integrating well. I think it will slowly show itself over the next 7 to 10 years perhaps even a little bit more than it did for us tonight, and it did so very well. Okay
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6/24/2021 - Alexander Smith wrote: 90 Points
So decided to open my second (and last bottle) after the deception of my first. I tasted this wine initially at a Wine Spectator event around 3-4 years ago, I rated it very highly then, maybe I bought a couple of 'off' bottle, however, I do believe that it was showing well then and just dropped off over time, I doubt this will get better. I know many critics love this wine, however, I just feel it falls short on so many levels. The nose was rather pleasant though, with notes of dark plum, cherries, dark chocolate, baking spices, graphite, and herbaceous notes. The palate was rich, powerful and slightly creamy, yet the balance did feel off with the dark plush fruit, sweet spices, mocha notes being overrun by aggressive acidity which felt slightly unbalanced. The tannins were ripe along with a dry and concentrated mid-palate and the finish fell a little too short. I decanted this wine for 5 hours, I feel the mistakes of this wine were due to the winemaking and not the vineyard. I always thought this was one of the top wines of Chile, yet I believe now that goes to Clos Apalta. This is certainly not worth the money I paid for it. So why gives this 90 points and not lower? Because potential is there, and with a little more work I believe Almaviva will produce a fantastic wine, just not today.
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6/14/2021 - Alexander Smith wrote:
So I was pretty disappointed by this bottle, I believe it had VA or some sort of Cork Taint but I could be off, I honestly don't know what the fault was, however, the nose certainly smelt like a little nail polish..the palate had minimal fruit, with no classic secondary aromas, this certainly was not in a good spot and even after 4 hours decanting the wine hardly changed.The balance was pretty horrible. :(
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5/22/2021 - L9027 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plenty of fruits with lots of tannin. Well balanced with distinctive quince note, with pleasant long finish. I believe this wine’s drinking window is open.
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4/5/2021 - Anders T Likes this wine: 95 Points
95+
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2/21/2021 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is 10 years too young but Coravin'd a glass. Massive amount of espresso, coffee, chocolate and chewy tannin. I would be stumped in a blind. Very napa on some notes and bordeaux on others. I love these wines and they always deliver. Great cost per quality. Just too damn young. Will not open another bottle for at least 8 years. Will go another 20+ easy. Well made
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2/14/2021 - AAJR Likes this wine: 93 Points
Third bottle of the night - no formal notes.....
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11/26/2020 - Cailles wrote: 95 Points
Tasted double blind. My guess was Napa Valley Cab as this wine has a ripe (but not too ripe) fruit profile with baking spices you usually find in young Napas. At some point it reminded me of the 2018 Calon Segur. What I really like is that despite the boldness of the flavors, the full-bodiness, the wine remains elegant and is not too bold or extracted. This got high praise from critics and I can see why. Certainly the best red wine from Chile I’ve had to date (my sample size – to be fair – is not that big).
TN: Lots of cherries, red currant, baking spices, other spices (cinnamon), smoke, cola, a layer of minerality on the nose and palate. It is complex and very well defined. The fruit is ripe but remains fresh and clean. The structure is marked by a wall of fine tannins and a superb, well-integrated freshness. This is very balanced and was gettinger softer and more elegant by the minute, no alcohol detectable whatsoever.
Decanting: This spent 3 hours in the decanter and was good from the go. It improved further in the glass and hence I would rather decant it more in advance or increase the time in the decanter to 5 hours.
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11/25/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
3h decant but I think 4h+ would make more sense - or wait another 3-5 years. Intense cherry fruit, sweet oak aromatics of cinnamon and baking spices and carbonated water such as coca cola. Over time bits of leather start to make their way through the dense fruity underwood. Fine layers of fresh herbs are a constant companion. A very fresh palate, not perfectly integrated yet, but otherwise lean without any excess fat. This is a really good, not entirely ready yet.
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10/2/2020 - garrigue65 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for about three hours. Probably not sufficient at this stage of maturity. I would suggest at least four to six hours. This is a well constructed wine (not a surprise based on its pedigree). The nose has some minerality and baking spices. The palate is similar with mid palate notes of pepper. I think this is best opened in another two or three years.
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8/8/2020 - brh_wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
At 5 years tasting more developed than when first released when it did not appear to have the longevity of a Bordeaux styled wind. Nose is still young and a bit closed but some berry fruit. Tastes now showing light tannins, less forward fruit. Bought this as a birth wine, will be watching if this has ability to mature and last to > 20 years.
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6/24/2020 - jgreco Likes this wine: 98 Points
2015 Viña Almaviva S.A. Almaviva has a dark red/black core and a reddish-brown rim.
It features a wonderfully expressive nose of cassis, pencil shavings, bell pepper, black pepper, cigar box, espresso, and leather. Medium bodied with balanced acidity and a long bitter espresso bean finish. The Bordeaux influences shine through here, but still uniquely evocative of the South American terroir. If you have four bottles or more then I would drink 1 today because it is really interesting today. This will be long lasting. We drank after a 4 hour decant.
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4/12/2020 - JRockEsq Likes this wine: 95 Points
Method: Decanted for 3 hours, then poured into little 4oz glass bottles to distribute for a virtual blind tasting (COVID-19) 3 hours later. Tasted semi-blind (I knew it was 1 of my 3 bottles I opened). Drank out of Cab glass. Starting drinking at around 62 degrees.
Look: DEEP ruby; slow legs
Nose: raspberry, jalapeno, paprika; very expressive
Palate: huge raspberry, leather, slight paprika, slight bell pepper; excellent depth and concentration of flavor; long finish of leather and raspberry; full body with med+ fine round tannins, which create a wonderfully sexy mouthfeel; medium acidity; dry; excellent balance
Day 2: the fruit pretty much faded to second fiddle and the paprika and bell pepper notes were more at the forefront, but otherwise the wine was very similar, maintaining it's wonderful balance and mouthfeel.
Overall thoughts: Debated between 95 - 96 points. Excellent, supremely polished and luxurious wine, which still manages to clearly show its distinct Chilean terroir. I was concerned I might be opening this too early, but unless you hate fruit or strongly prefer mature wines, you should not hesitate to open a bottle of this soon as it's showing excellently after a good decant. I have two bottles left and I'm excited to see where the wine goes, even though I wouldn't be the least bit disappointed if it plateaued where it's currently at.
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4/11/2020 - HU Likes this wine: 96 Points
Poured through an aerator into a decanter, drank 4 hours later. Tannins were soft, excellent and enjoyable to drink. Medium to full body, not overwhelming, elegant. Dark red. Such a rich and beautiful array of nuances and notes, hard to describe and none is overwhelming. Figs, plums, licorice, dark chocolate, coffee, cassis, and a long list more. Really excellent. Will get some 2017 now. Does it deserve the 100 that James Suckling gave it? Perhaps in a few years? I have too little experience with 100 pointers to truly know, but I am sure glad that I have a few more of this one.
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8/26/2019 - religion_lol Likes this wine: 95 Points
4 hour decant and tasted blind with 6 other wines. This came in 2nd, right after a 2015 La Jota (which was also decanted 4 hours).
The nose is tar and green bell pepper city; almost no fruit on the nose. However on the palette, this explodes with balanced dark fruit, leather, cigar box, crushed rock. It reminded me a lot of Howell Mountain.
The chewy tannin reminds you that you're drinking this far too young and it's not even close to fully expressing it's potential.
This is an exceptional effort, and I am looking forward to picking more up and holding for 10-20.
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7/7/2019 - BostonSteve Likes this wine: 96 Points
Agree with doughboy. Wasn’t giving much after pop and swirl in the glass but after aeration and some time in the decanter it was excellent. The quality of the venture between the Chile and the Rothchilds shows through. Beautiful cedar, coffee and tobacco flavors. Some darker fruit flavors black cherry? This will also benefit from a couple more years in bottle.
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6/11/2019 - Dough Boy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted out of the bottle and over an hour and a half. Cedar, macerated cherry, espresso, w a long finish. Very elegant. The influence of a top Bordeau producer comes through. Terrific. Don’t make the mistake of judging this wine without aeration.
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3/16/2019 - brh_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good wine although I'm not sure i would give it the hype (100 score, best in world) that has been accorded it. Berry fruit forward and less tannins than i would have expected for a really long lived wine. I went very long this on a wine store recommendation, i hope it gets more developed.
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1/16/2019 - grapenomad wrote: 94 Points
Deep ruby red. Fantastic, expressive nose showing tones burnt chestnuts, vanilla, green bell pepper, garam masala and loads of black fruit. Very approachable and easy-drinking at this stage. Oak is used here perfectly and dances around with the fruit through the whole wine. Ripe character, no over-extraction. A touch of bitterness on the long finish that 99% of Bordeaux have. A more than reasonable priced wine that offers a high level of complexity and balance. Perfectly representative of the style Almaviva's goes for every vintage.
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12/31/2018 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 97 Points
I loved reading the line from Matt Scott (below)... "haute couture in a glass..." So true. This wine is incredible. And while rating are all subjective, I would have a hard time understanding why anyone would be critical of this wine. So smooth and refined. Wonderful fruit, earth and tobacco. A lovely long finish with supple tannins. Age will treat this oh so well.
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12/15/2018 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 97 Points
Voluptuous and haute couture in a glass, this shows so much elegance and refinement. Blackberries, river rock, pipe tobacco, flower shop and a little chocolate pudding. A gliding and long finish, with a very polished middle, then showing round tannin structure throughout. So enjoyable now, this is a mere baby that has all of the needed components to age very well. A Chilean legend. Drink 2022 - 2037.
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11/20/2018 - wineotim wrote: 93 Points
Sampled at a local tasting event. Soft, smooth, and velvety with leather aromas coupled with some black cherry fruit and spice on the palate.
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11/10/2018 - Marcosuru wrote: 94 Points
A little bit of Bordeaux in Chile.
Great wine, big and balance. To be left alone for a few years, or not so few.
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10/19/2018 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 98 Points
New York Wine Experience 2018 (New York Marriott Marquis): Wow! Lush plum, cherry a little chocolate and spice. This is really phenomenal in every sense, perfectly balanced, even at this age. Balance is perfect and the length lasts minutes, wow. Already bought some. 97-98
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10/18/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Wine Spectator newbies; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (Marriott Marquis): This was again the very fruity and intense style of wine. Slightly lower acidity. We tried one of these (different year) when we were in Chile and it was my favorite wine from that country. In this company though it didn't stand out in the same way.
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10/17/2018 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 97 Points
The 2015 Almaviva is a total beauty, which impresses on all levels. Year after year this Bordeaux inspired red from Puente Alto in the Maipo Valley is one of Chile's finest wines and it certainly does not disappoint in this vintage. Composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenere, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot which spent 18 Months in new French oak. The resulting wine begins with striking aromas of ripe blackberries, dark cherries, tobacco, spices, fresh violets, expresso bean and a lovely herb character all come together in the glass. This leads to a gorgeous full-bodied and remarkably structured wine, backed by gorgeous polished tannins which are seamlessly integrated. Balanced, concentrated and tremendously complex, this is a complete success from this estate which should have a wonderful future ahead.
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9/29/2018 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 86 Points
James Suckling - Great Wines of the Andes 2018 (The Presidio, SF): riper than the '14 by a hair. Blueberry and clear pyrazines. Structured but soft in acid.
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8/21/2018 - TGOT Likes this wine: 95 Points
Not quite the 100-Pointer that Suckling gave it, but a delicious wine nonetheless.
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7/4/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent wine for the money. Needs some more time in bottle but drinks beautifully after a 3 hours decant.
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5/20/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine: 92 Points
Approachable but definitely too young to be at its potential. Found myself getting tired of flavor profile after two glasses. Will check back in a few years.
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1/24/2018 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 94 Points
The best Almaviva, though I haven't tried the 2014 which I'm knowledgeably informed is on par.
Young but super accessible. A lovely welcoming modern form of medicinal elegance. Harmonious. Can't wait to drink in years to come.
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10/3/2017 - Joe Kane wrote:
Icon Chilean bottle, joint effort of Concha Y Toro and Rothschild. Cab, Carmenere, Cab Franc blend from Puento Alto. Pyrazine driven, smoky, ripe fruit, blackberry, firm tannin. Really good, but could we move it retail?
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10/1/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 88 Points
James Suckling - Great Wines of the Andes (The Presidio, SF): 69% cabernet sauvignon, 24% carmenere, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.
Even though there's no Malbec, this smells like Malbec. Ripe black fruit and green weedy plum. But then the palate hits with lots of vanilla spice and a polished impressive finish. Ripe structure. Feels like it has some RS but that could be ripeness and oak. Big. Plush. Not my favorite style, but a good example.
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