Almaviva 2021 Maipo Valley

Colin Hay (The Drinks Business)
98/100 punten
The original hors Bordeaux to be released through la Place and still one of the absolute superstars of any September campaign. It does not disappoint. This is incredibly refined and yet gloriously and effusively expressive aromatically – even if one has the very palpable sense of so much more still to be revealed. There is a radiant fresh florality here this is wonderfully enchanting and that intermingles with the prominent graphite, pencil shaving and cedar notes and, of course, that deep, dark, rich, plump but soft berry and stone fruit. There’s cracked black and Szechuan peppercorns and even a little hint of chili. The gossamer tannins are phenomenally fine-grained and yet exude that chalky grippy-ness that is so essential to both the mouthfeel and the finely chiselled and highly contoured and pixilated character of the wine. Gloriously refined and the very epitome of Bordeaux craft and sophistication. Utterly charming and beguiling just like the Mozart opera and the Beaumarchais play after one of whose lead characters the wine is, of course, named. 

James Suckling
98/100 punten
A fresh and discreet Almaviva with subtle pencil shavings and cigar box to the cassis and hints of chili chocolate and peppermint. Nuanced and subtle on the nose. This is medium-bodied and subtle on the palate with silky tannins in the seamless finish. Very long. 71% cabernet sauvignon, 22% carmenere, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Drinkable now, but it will take its time to deliver complexity.

Tim Atkin MW
98/100 punten
Michel Friou compares the brilliant 2021 Almaviva to the 2018 and I think he’s right in terms of the quality and complexity of the Cabernet Sauvignon that sits at this wine’s core, even if the tannins are a little finer and less extracted here. A wine that’s proudly chilean, it’s a pan-regional cuvée that partners Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot from Puente Alto with 22% Carmenère from Peumo. Cassis, mulberry and Mediterranean herb flavours of fennel and lavender are framed by deftly integrated new French oak, lots of texture and weight, bright acidity and minerality and a precise, focused finish. An impressive wine from one of the very best Chilean vintages. 

Vinous
96/100 punten
The 2021 Almaviva is a blend primarily based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere, but not limited to these, and was aged for up to 18 months in French barrels. Its color is garnet with a purple sheen. The enticing nose showcases blackberry, cassis marmalade, black and green pepper, ashes, camphor and cigar box aromas. Indulgent and rich on the palate, it carries taut, fine-grained tannins, velvet texture and balanced acidity, leading to a long, ripe finish. This bold and layered red wine reveals nuanced depth and richness on the palate, promising further development as it matures in the bottle.


Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
96+/100 punten
2021 was an overall cooler year than 2020, with more elegant wines with more finesse and less angular tannins. The sleek 2021 Almaviva is a good example of that, still very young and still marked by the élevage in oak after spending 20 months in French oak barrels, 71% of them new and the rest only second use. The final blend was 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Carmenere (from Peumo), 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, a variety that might gain in percentage, as they have even planted some more with the idea to possibly replace Merlot in the medium or long term. It's not a shy wine, hitting the scale at 15% alcohol and with mellow acidity, 4.65 grams (tartaric) and a pH of 3.81 The fruit is dark, ripe and spicy, nothing green about it; it's a little shy, less expressive than the warmer years are early on and a little more discreet but with potential to develop in bottle. The tannins are still present, and it should benefit from some more time in bottle.