Vina Almaviva 2021 Red Blend Puente Alto

Viña Almaviva 2021 is a striking expression of Chilean Bordeaux-style blending — powerful yet elegant, with dark fruit richness, refined structure, and sophisticated oak-driven depth. It balances immediacy and potential: enjoyable now but built to evolve, offering both appeal to modern wine lovers and pedigree for collectors.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Almaviva was conceived as a collaboration between a top Bordeaux house and Chile’s historic Concha y Toro estate — aiming to create a Chilean “Grand Cru Classé equivalent.” The 2021 vintage is grown in the Puente Alto sub-region of the Maipo Valley, an area known for ideal conditions: well-drained soils, warm days and cool nights, and expressive Cabernet-driven wines endowed with power and elegance.

The 2021 blend comprises roughly 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Carménère, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This vintage aged around 20 months in French oak barrels, about 71% new and the remainder second-fill, allowing the wine’s structure and fruit to integrate with refined oak, spice, and subtle texture.

Critics Reviews & Professional Ratings

• James Suckling gives it 98 points, calling the 2021 a “fresh and discreet Almaviva” — highlighting notes of cassis with cigar-box and subtle pencil-shaving nuance, along with a hint of chili-chocolate and peppermint, and praising its silky tannins and very long finish.

• Wine Advocate scores it in the mid-to-high 90s (96 points), noting that 2021 was a cooler vintage than 2020, resulting in a wine with more finesse, less angular tannins, and an elegant, refined profile — dark ripe fruit, depth, and complexity with poised structure.

• Additional evaluations from the broader wine press highlight its “balanced elegance, depth, and aging potential,” often describing it as one of the strongest Chilean red blends of recent years, combining Bordeaux-style structure with Chilean ripeness and richness.

In short: critics widely agree — 2021 Almaviva stands among the elite Chilean red blends, delivering both immediate pleasure and long-term promise.

Tasting Profile

Nose:
Deep aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant and ripe dark plum, overlaid with violet flower, dried herbs, a hint of cedar and cigar box, and subtle graphite and pencil-shavings spice. Underneath lies a mineral lift and a whisper of tobacco leaf and gentle oak toast.

Palate:
Full-bodied and rich, with plush dark fruit — cassis, black cherry, and black plum dominate, joined by layers of dark chocolate, mocha, and a touch of black pepper spice. The Carménère brings a subtle peppery warmth and herbal complexity; the oak aging injects cedar, vanilla bean, and refined tannin structure. Despite its concentration, the wine remains balanced, with fresh acidity and a smooth, velvety mid-palate.

Finish:
Long and lingering, with fine-grained tannins, lingering dark fruit, cedar-box spice, and a mineral-tinged freshness. The finish leaves an echo of dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, and a gentle savory note — a sign of wines meant for aging.

Quick Overview