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25th anniversary vintage Almaviva released onto La Place
Top Chilean wine brand Almaviva has released its 2020 vintage – its 25th anniversary bottling – onto La Place de Bordeaux, which critics are saying is “already delicious” but likely to improve with a bit of age.
The release, which comes as part of La Place de Bordeaux autumn campaign, sees the 2020 vintage released at €116 per bottle ex-négociant, up 10.5% on the 2019’s opening price (€105), according to Liv-ex. It is also being offered by the international trade for £1,440 per 12×75, consistent with the current Market Price of the 2018 vintage, which carries similar critic scores.
The wine has a score of 96-points from The Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutiérrez, who noted that the 2020 has a “similar aromatic palate” to the 2019, “with a clear note of baked peppers”, and although more tannic, there is more tension than the powerful 2017 vintage. He scored it 96 points.
The 2020 vintage was an exceptionally dry one, with 75% less rain than usual between May and September, resulting in an earlier harvest – and although the Carmenère was harvested nearly five weeks earlier than usual, Gutiérrez said it was “not a green wine at all”.
Meanwhile James Suckling awarded it 98-points, describing it as “Voluptuous and flattering on the palate”, a medium-to full-bodied Almaviva “with supple, silky tannins and a wealth of black and blue fruit that provides a lot of charm now” although noting that it would be “better from 2024”.
The 2020 Almaviva is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenère (from Peumo), 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot – with no Merlot included this time.
“The process was as careful as possible, without using any bombs, doing manual and optical sorting of the grapes, pressing in small vertical presses and aging of 20 months in French oak barrels, 73% of them new and the rest second use,” Gutiérrez noted. “The wine reached good ripeness with 14.9% alcohol. It still shows the effect of the élevage a bit, with abundant notes of sweet spices, a creamy touch and some smoke.”
Almaviva’s second wine Epu, which comes from the same terroir and vineyard in Puente Alto, but from younger vines that are harvested earlier to preserve acidity and fruit, was also released, it’s second outing on La Place.
The winery, which celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year, was established in 1997 when the historic wine families of Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Concha Y Toro joined forces to create an exceptional Franco-Chilean premium wine.
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