Viña Almaviva S.A. Almaviva Puente Alto Red Blend 2013

97 Points                                One of Chile's finest wines, the Almaviva 2013 is a delicious Cabernet blend. 97 Points James Suckling: "Superb aromas of Indian spices, blackberry, blueberry and dried flowers. Full body, soft and polished tannins and an amazing finesse of subtle yet intense flavors. This is so pure and fruity. Another great Almaviva. Reminiscent of the great 2010. A blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon, 19% carmenere, 6% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot and 1% merlot." 94 Points Robert Parker: "The 2013 Almaviva couldn't have had a more different growing season from 2012, as 2013 was wetter and cooler than the average. It was a good year for Cabernet Sauvignon, which took the leading role with a 72% in the final blend alongside 19% Carmenère (a grape that tends to suffer in cooler years), 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot. It had a classical vinification in stainless steel and an élevage of 18 months in 74% new French barriques. In the last few years, the blend comes from approximately two-thirds older vines (37-years-old) and one-third from younger ones (11-years-old); for other parts of the world, this might seem young, but in this part of Chile where the vines do not tend to have a long life, they are relatively old. 2013 was also a higher yielding vintage, which somehow helped produce balanced juice. The wine is fresher and more fluid, not as concentrated as previous vintages. It has a subtle nose with very nicely integrated spicy aromas from the élevage. The palate is very approachable, soft and velvety, with very good balance and a fine texture because of the very fine tannins. In a way it reminds me of the texture of the 2006, which is possibly the most Burgundian of their vintages. Yes, it's still a baby, but a baby that is approachable from now on, and should have a long life and development in bottle."

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