Almaviva

Almaviva emerged from conversations begun around 1995 between Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA, and the Guilisasti family of Viña Concha y Toro. The Vinexpo encounter led to a clear vision: a single Chilean wine produced under the French château concept, with a single exceptional terroir, a dedicated bodega, and one technical team focused exclusively on producing one flagship. The model consciously echoed the Rothschilds' earlier Napa partnership with Robert Mondavi (Opus One, founded 1979). In 1997, Baroness Philippine and Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle, Chairman of Viña Concha y Toro SA, signed the formal 50/50 joint venture agreement. The wine moved faster than the lawyers: the inaugural 1996 vintage was actually harvested before the partnership was signed, and the wine was commercially launched in 1998 via La Place de Bordeaux, becoming the first non-Bordeaux wine ever offered through the historic négociant network. Baroness Philippine led the project until her death on 23 August 2014; her three children continue investing in the partnership through Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA.

• Conversations between Baroness Philippine de Rothschild and Guilisasti family of Concha y Toro began around 1995 at Vinexpo; partnership agreement formally signed 1997
• 50/50 joint venture model echoes the Rothschilds' earlier Napa partnership with Robert Mondavi (Opus One, founded 1979)
• Inaugural 1996 vintage harvested before partnership signing; commercially launched 1998 via La Place de Bordeaux, first non-Bordeaux wine in the historic négociant network
• Baroness Philippine de Rothschild led project until death 23 August 2014; her three children continue investing in the partnership

The name Almaviva belongs to classical French literature: Count Almaviva is the hero of Beaumarchais's 1778 play La Folle Journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), later set to music by Mozart in his 1786 opera of the same name. The Sevillian Spanish-sounding name reflects Beaumarchais's setting; the label bears the name Almaviva in Beaumarchais's own handwriting drawn from an original manuscript, while the label imagery and the bodega's interior pay homage to Chile's ancestral Mapuche culture (visible through stylised Mapuche symbology). The name choice connects the French literary heritage of the Rothschild family with the Spanish-speaking Chilean cultural context, reinforcing the wine's identity as a Franco-Chilean creation rather than a Bordeaux imitation. The second wine, Epu, takes its name from the Mapuche word meaning 'two,' explicitly nodding to the dual French-Chilean heritage and to its position as the partnership's secondary expression.

• Name from Count Almaviva, hero of Beaumarchais's 1778 play The Marriage of Figaro (later Mozart's 1786 opera); label uses Beaumarchais's own handwriting from an original manuscript
• Label imagery and bodega interior pay homage to Chile's ancestral Mapuche culture through stylised Mapuche symbology
• Second wine Epu takes its name from the Mapuche word meaning 'two,' nodding to the French-Chilean heritage and its position as the secondary expression
• Name choice connects French literary heritage of Rothschild family with Spanish-speaking Chilean cultural context, reinforcing Franco-Chilean creation identity

Almaviva's primary vineyard occupies 65 hectares in Puente Alto on the northern bank of the Maipo River at approximately 650 metres elevation, at the foot of the Andes Mountains. Soils are rocky and relatively poor, consisting of loamy clay to a depth of approximately 50 centimetres before transitioning to sandy loam, gravel, and rounded river stones below. These alluvial soils provide excellent drainage, impart minerality, and produce lower pH levels that contribute to the wine's characteristic structural elegance. The semi-arid Mediterranean climate delivers only approximately 300 millimetres of annual rainfall, eliminating fungal pressure, while cool breezes descending from the Andes generate significant diurnal temperature variation during ripening. The estate's oldest vines were planted in 1978 and were originally believed to be Merlot; nationwide identification work led by Jean-Michel Boursiquot in 1994 revealed those vines were in fact Carménère, the long-lost Bordeaux variety, which subsequently became a defining component of the Almaviva blend. The estate is supplemented by 14 hectares of Carménère in Peumo in Cachapoal Valley, where the variety achieves particularly expressive herbal character and density. Vineyard work has now completed organic conversion across all parcels.

• 65-hectare Puente Alto vineyard on Maipo River's northern bank at ~650 m elevation; loamy clay topsoil to ~50 cm over sandy loam, gravel, and rounded river stones; ~300 mm annual rainfall, growing season dry
• Andean cool air drainage delivers significant diurnal temperature variation during ripening; warm dry days drive phenolic maturation while cool nights preserve acidity
• 1978-planted vines originally believed to be Merlot; Jean-Michel Boursiquot 1994 reclassification revealed Carménère, which became a defining component of the flagship blend
• Supplemented by 14 ha Carménère from Peumo (Cachapoal Valley) where the variety achieves particularly expressive herbal character; vineyard fully organic across all parcels

Almaviva is built on Cabernet Sauvignon, consistently the dominant variety in the blend across vintages. The flagship is typically 65 to 80 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, with Carménère as the principal supporting variety (sourced from both Puente Alto estate vines and the Peumo parcels in Cachapoal), Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot added to the blend from the 2010 vintage. Merlot appears in small quantities since 2006 in select vintages. Blend proportions shift meaningfully by vintage to reflect seasonal conditions: the 2018 vintage was 72 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 percent Carménère, 6 percent Cabernet Franc, and 3 percent Petit Verdot; the 2021 was 71 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 22 percent Carménère, 5 percent Cabernet Franc, and 2 percent Petit Verdot; the 2023 release was 74 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 percent Carménère, 5 percent Cabernet Franc, and 2 percent Petit Verdot. The Carménère component gives Almaviva a distinctly Chilean identity that sets it apart from a traditional Left Bank Bordeaux, with savoury black pepper, dried herb, and ripe black fruit complementing the Cabernet Sauvignon-driven structural core.

• Cabernet Sauvignon dominant across vintages (typically 65-80%); Carménère principal supporting variety sourced from Puente Alto estate vines and Peumo parcels in Cachapoal
• Cabernet Franc consistent supporting component; Petit Verdot added to blend from 2010 vintage; Merlot in small quantities since 2006 in select vintages
• Example vintage blends: 2018 (72% CS, 19% Carménère, 6% CF, 3% PV); 2021 (71% CS, 22% Carménère, 5% CF, 2% PV); 2023 (74% CS, 19% Carménère, 5% CF, 2% PV)
• Carménère component gives distinctly Chilean identity setting Almaviva apart from traditional Left Bank Bordeaux; savoury black pepper, dried herb, ripe black fruit complement Cabernet Sauvignon-driven structural core

The Almaviva bodega in Puente Alto, designed by Chilean architect Martín Hurtado and built in 1998, was inaugurated in 2000; early vintages from 1996 onward were vinified at Concha y Toro's nearby facility until the dedicated winery opened. The architecture conceives the building as a complete integration of aesthetic design and functionality: an undulating roof simulates the silhouette of the Andes Mountains, while the interior decor references Mapuche cultural symbols throughout the Grand Chai barrel hall and tasting rooms. The winemaking philosophy emphasises gravity-flow throughout production. Grapes are collected at harvest in shallow bins, hand-sorted and optically sorted on the mezzanine level, then moved by gravity into parcel-specific stainless steel fermentation tanks below. Each vineyard parcel is fermented independently in small mobile stainless steel tanks to allow precise lot-by-lot selection. Malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously, immediately before or after gravity drainage into French oak barrels. The wine ages 18 to 20 months in French oak sourced from more than 10 cooperages, with approximately 73 to 75 percent new barrels; stave thickness is tailored by variety, with thicker staves for Carménère allowing slower, gentler oxygen exchange.

• Bodega designed by Chilean architect Martín Hurtado, built 1998 and inaugurated 2000; undulating roof simulates silhouette of the Andes; interior references Mapuche cultural symbols throughout
• Gravity-flow winemaking throughout: grapes move from mezzanine sorting through gravity into parcel-specific stainless steel fermentation tanks below without mechanical pumping
• Parcel-by-parcel fermentation in small mobile stainless steel tanks for precise lot-by-lot selection; spontaneous malolactic fermentation immediately before or after gravity drainage to barrel
• Aged 18-20 months in French oak from 10+ cooperages with approximately 73-75% new barrels; stave thickness tailored by variety (thicker staves for Carménère allowing slower oxygen exchange)

Almaviva has built one of the most consistent critical track records of any wine in the Southern Hemisphere. James Suckling awarded perfect 100-point scores to both the 2015 and 2017 vintages, and named the Almaviva Puente Alto 2017 his Wine of the Decade in 2020, singling it out from more than 100,000 wines tasted across the preceding ten years and citing its role in building the reputation of Chilean wine worldwide. The 2018 and 2020 vintages each scored 98 points from Suckling, while the 2021 received 98 points from Suckling and 97 points from Jane Anson. Wine Spectator placed the 2016 vintage at #10 in its annual Top 100 and the 2003 at #24. The Wine Advocate and Decanter have consistently scored the wine in the mid-to-high 90s across multiple recent vintages. Almaviva is also a regular presence in the sale catalogues of the world's leading wine auction houses, reflecting genuine sustained collector demand. The second wine Epu (Mapuche for 'two') has been produced from younger vines and second-pass selections since the 2000 vintage; aged approximately 12 months in used oak, Epu was distributed selectively for years before becoming available internationally from the 2019 vintage via La Place de Bordeaux, joining the flagship in the négociant network. Head winemaker Michel Friou has led production since the 2008 vintage following Patrick Léon (Mouton's technical director, founding winemaker) and Tod Mostero (2004 to 2007).

• James Suckling 100 points for 2015 and 2017 vintages; 2017 named Wine of the Decade 2020 from 100,000+ wines tasted across preceding ten years
• 2018, 2020, 2021 vintages all 98 points James Suckling; 2021 also 97 points Jane Anson; Wine Spectator Top 100 #10 for 2016 vintage, #24 for 2003 vintage
• Three winemakers across the estate's history: Patrick Léon (Mouton's technical director, founding winemaker), Tod Mostero (2004-2007), Michel Friou (since the 2008 vintage)
• Epu second wine (Mapuche for 'two') from younger vines and second-pass selections since 2000 vintage; aged ~12 months in used oak; international distribution via La Place de Bordeaux from 2019 vintage