98 POINTS
Alejandro Iglesias - Decanter
Founded by Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Concha y Toro in Puente Alto, Almaviva excels with its Bordeaux-inflected reds created by Michel Friou. Its 2019 cuveé – 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carmenere, and the rest made up of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot – enjoyed an extraordinary year resulting in a fragrant nose of dark fruit, lavender, eucalyptus, blackcurrant and cigar box aromas. The refined palate has a fresh core and velvety feel.
97 POINTS
Peter Moser - Falstaff
Deep dark garnet, purple reflections, discreet brightening on the rim. Classic Cabernet nuances of blackcurrants, candied purples, some toffee and liquorice, a note of fine oak; a multilayered, inviting bouquet. Substantial yet elegant palate, fine fruit expression of dark fruit, balanced acidity, ripe tannins. Fine minerality on the finish, good ageing potential, already seductive in youth.
The aromas of iodine and blackcurrants with roses and lavender make the wine extremely perfumed. It’s full-bodied with a tight, fine-tannined palate that shows linear flow through the center palate. It’s vertical and integrated, adding depth and serious quality to the wine.
A very refined and polished red with currants and hints of cedar, chocolate and hazelnuts. Subtle and fine. Medium- to full-bodied, creamy and nicely textured. Friendly and caressing. Closing down. 68% cabernet sauvignon, 23% carmenere, 5% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot and 1% merlot. Will age nicely.
The 2019 Bordeaux Blend Almaviva is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carménère, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot from Puente Alto that spent 18 months in three-fourths new barrels. Purple in color. The remarkably detailed nose begins and ends with notes of blackberry, black currant and blueberry, while in between, balsamic aromas ranging from camphor to ash appear along with a whiff of violets. All of the above comes packaged in a cigar box. Sugary initially, the flow is creamy and expansive, with polished tannins, while it grows more compact later on, stretching out the flavors. A red that showcases the best of Maipo.
95 POINTS
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2019 Almaviva is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carmenère (from Peumo), 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot, higher in Carmenere and reflecting a warmer and drier vintage when then bottled wine reached 15% alcohol. It fermented with destemmed grapes in stainless steel and matured in French oak barrels, 75% of them new, for 18 months. Here, the Carmenere adds herbal freshness and changes the aromatic profile when compared with the 2019 Epu. 2019 was a good year for Carmenere, which suffers in extremely warm years like 2017, but in moderately warm years like 2019, the variety displays that herbal character and has good density. It's full-bodied and round, with saturated tannins, tasty, spicy and long, with a dry, serious finish. It's balsamic, with notes of camphor and a silky and velvety texture. 200,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2021.
95 POINTS
Matthew Luczy - Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The product of an overall warm, dry vintage that ended slightly cooler, the 2019 Almaviva opens with focused, red-fruited aromas supplemented by coffee, mint and red pepper, developing additional floral notes with aeration. It is suave and energetic on the palate, displaying an admirable balance between slightly elevated ripeness, fresh acidity and detailed, delineated tannins. It finishes with the velvety richness and elegantly drying structure typical of Almaviva. Within this vertical, it struck me as similar to the 2022—although a touch more lifted and less assertive—and further reinforced the stylistic improvements made at Almaviva in the last decade.
93 POINTS
Jesica Vargas - Wine Enthusiast
This Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend shows dried herbs, nutmeg, green bell pepper, and hints of tobacco on the nose. The palate has good structure, medium acidity, and velvet tannins. Oak adds smoky notes to the mix of ripe blueberry and plum. It's delicate and has a smooth lingering finish.
