-
98
/ 100
James Suckling -
97
/ 100
Jane Anson -
96
/ 100
The Wine Advocate -
96
/ 100
Vinous
Red
Classification
Cabernet Blend
Variety
2021
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
Chile
Country
Central Valley, Maipo
Region
14.5%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
98 / 100"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."
- James Suckling
97 / 100
"A stunning example of Almaviva, shot through with the generosity and restrained spice of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carman?re in Puente Alto. Coffee bean, liquorice and cocoa set the tone on the opening beats, showing the restrained glamour that the partnership of SA Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Concha Y Toro do so well. Plenty of fruit here, majoring on blackcurrant and damson, with just enough brambled blackberry buds and autumn hedgerow adding a welcome note of both bitterness and fragrance, cutting through the sleek ripeness of the palate, excellent reflection of the balanced weather in the 2021 vintage, with no challenging heat spikes. Winemaker Michel Friou. 75% new oak."
- Jane Anson
96 / 100
"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 ?levage 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. The 2019 had more volume than the 2018, and the 2020 is closer to the 2019 than the 2018. 200,000 bottles produced. It was bottled between late January and early February 2023. I tasted it next to the 2020 and 2018, and it's closer to the latter; but this 2021 is more elegant, and 2018 is a little more austere and herbal."
- The Wine Advocate
96 / 100
"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."
- Vinous
Tasting Notes
Almaviva 2021 was born under the sign of freshness, a unique vintage and a remarkable expression of the estate's great Cabernet Sauvignon.
Almaviva 2021 is an exceptional vintage from the Chilean superstar signed by Domaines Rothschild. Freshness, elegance and balance are the three hallmarks of this 2021 vintage.
Blend: 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Carménère, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot
Fresh, elegant, complex. Opening notes of ripe fruit and subtle floral aromas. The bouquet then reveals striking notes of licorice and graphite.The attack is frank and juicy, with notes of blackcurrant and raspberry. The finish reveals notes of vanilla and cocoa. The structure is delicate, the tannins soft and polished, this is a real nugget.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity