Almaviva 2013 6000ml

97 POINTS

James Suckling

Superb aromas of Indian spices, blackberry, blueberry and dried flowers. Full body, soft and polished tannins and an amazing finesse of subtle yet intense flavors. This is so pure and fruity. Another great Almaviva. Reminiscent of the great 2010. A blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon, 19% carmenere, 6% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot and 1% merlot.

96 POINTS

James Suckling

Very fresh aromas of cool blackberries, blackcurrants and minerals. Full-bodied, and linear with wonderful integration and focus. Lead pencil comes through. Goes on for minutes. A little closed now, but this is the real deal. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 19% carmenere, 6% cabernet franc, 2% merlot and 1% petit verdot.

96 POINTS

James Suckling

A vintage that has the breadth and depth of a late-harvested vintage with rich, compressed fruit aromas and flavors, as well as dense, ripe tannins and concentrated dark fruit to close.

95 POINTS

Falstaff

Dark ruby, deep core, purple reflections, delicate bright rim. Inviting aroma of dark berry fruit, hints of vanilla, cloves, nuances of violet, some nougat and candied orange zest. Substantial, pronounced cherry-cassis fruit, integrated silky tannins, and with a fine structure. It is a very elegant Almaviva with great flow and definite ageing potential.

94 POINTS

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2013 Almaviva couldn't have had a more different growing season from 2012, as 2013 was wetter and cooler than the average. It was a good year for Cabernet Sauvignon, which took the leading role with a 72% in the final blend alongside 19% Carmenère (a grape that tends to suffer in cooler years), 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. It had a classical vinification in stainless steel and an élevage of 18 months in 74% new French barriques. In the last few years, the blend comes from approximately two-thirds older vines (37-years-old) and one-third from younger ones (11-years-old); for other parts of the world, this might seem young, but in this part of Chile where the vines do not tend to have a long life, they are relatively old. 2013 was also a higher yielding vintage, which somehow helped produce balanced juice. The wine is fresher and more fluid, not as concentrated as previous vintages. It has a subtle nose with very nicely integrated spicy aromas from the élevage. The palate is very approachable, soft and velvety, with very good balance and a fine texture because of the very fine tannins. In a way it reminds me of the texture of the 2006, which is possibly the most Burgundian of their vintages. Yes, it's still a baby, but a baby that is approachable from now on, and should have a long life and development in bottle. 165,000 bottles were filled between January 5th and 14th of 2015.

94 POINTS

Michael Schachner - Wine Enthusiast

On multiple passes this smells a touch earthy, but also reserved and rich. A dense, pure, silky palate is not rough in the least, while chocolaty, oaky flavors merge with berry and cassis and end in elegant notes of pepper, spice and herbs. This is more or less ready to go; drink through 2020.

94 POINTS

Jane Anson - Decanter

A vintage where Cabernet Sauvignon dominates in terms of flavours, as Carmenère finds cooler years like 2013 a little tough. It's also a year where you see both Petit Verdot and Merlot in the blend, and there were good volumes as berry size was generous, taking the edge off the concentration and making this accessible even at this early stage. It has extremely pleasurable, silky tannins, and striking finesse to the plum and cassis fruit. It should easily hold on for ageing.