2008 Almaviva
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Tasting notes
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Carmenère, 8% Cabernet Franc. Aged 18 months in French oak (100% new). Still lots of primary fruit on the nose, but there's also a smoked meat note giving complexity, as well as soy sauce umami flavours. Finely ground tannins, a touch of cedar and graphite as well as that pure blackcurrant fruit persisting. No hurry to drink this. (RH)
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Average Score
Neal Martin
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
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The 2008 Almaviva was the first wine made after Michel Friou took over the winery. A Bordeaux-style red combining Cabernet Sauvignon with 26% Carménère and 8% Cabernet Franc from Puente Alto, Maipo, harvested in a cold, dry year according to Friou, it spent 19 months in French oak, two-thirds new. Deep pomegranate red in the glass. The lovely, delicate nose delivers dry figs and dates, menthol and an evolving layer of sweet spices. A ripe red that develops a concentrated liqueur-ish, slightly dry feel. The original structure has achieved a new sense of balance that lingers in the mouth.
The 2008 Almaviva, a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Carmenere and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in new French oak for 18 months, has a Bordeaux-like bouquet with crisp blackberry, graphite and mint aromas that are well defined. The palate has a smooth, supple entry and is more rounded and harmonious than the 2009, with a pure, pastille-like finish that perhaps does not possess the complexity or “meatiness” of the succeeding vintage. Nevertheless, this is a fine Almaviva. Drink 2013-2020. The collaboration between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Vina Concha y Toro caused waves back in the late 1990s, a token of recognition for the progress of Chilean wines from one of Bordeaux’s grandees. Since the debut in 1998 it has achieved acclaim from around the world. Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estates, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 299-2600
The 2008 Almaviva, a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Carmenere and 8% Cabernet Franc aged in new French oak for 18 months, has a Bordeaux-like bouquet with crisp blackberry, graphite and mint aromas that are well defined. The palate has a smooth, supple entry and is more rounded and harmonious than the 2009, with a pure, pastille-like finish that perhaps does not possess the complexity or “meatiness” of the succeeding vintage. Nevertheless, this is a fine Almaviva. Drink 2013-2020. Dec 2012, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
Almaviva is a collaboration between two giants in the world of wine – Bordeaux’s Ch. Mouton Rothschild and Concha y Toro.