Puente Alto

Beef, Veal, Poultry, Pasta

In 1997 Baroness Philippine de Rothschild Chairman of the Advisory Board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA and Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle Chairman of Viña Concha y Toro S.A. sealed a partnership agreement with a view to create an exceptional Franco-Chilean wine called Almaviva. Produced under the joint technical supervision of both partners the first vintage achieved immediate international success upon its launch in 1998. The name Almaviva though it has an Hispanic sonority belongs to classical French literature: Count Almaviva is the hero of The Marriage of Figaro the famous play by Beaumarchais (1732-1799) later turned into an opera by the genius of Mozart. The label meanwhile pays homage to Chile’s ancestral history with three reproductions of a stylized design which symbolizes the vision of the earth and the cosmos in the Mapuche civilization. The design appears on the kultrun a ritual drum used by the Mapuche. The label bears the name Almaviva in Beaumarchais’ own handwriting. Two great traditions thus join hands to offer the whole world a promise of pleasure and excellence. The Château concept was introduced in the XIX century in France as a way to honor creative mastery of winegrowers from Bordeaux. Almaviva was the first wine in Chile created under this French Château concept taking into account exceptional terroir one unique bodega and one technical team – the three of which are dedicated exclusively to the production of one wine of unparalleled quality and excellence.

The vintage 2018 in Chile was magnificent, one of the best of the decade, recognized for its exceptional quality, balance and complexity. The vintage was rainier than average with 300 mm in Puente Alto between May and October 2017, compared to the historical average of 281 mm. During the same winter period, the temperatures were lower than usual, resulting in bud break occurring a few days later than average. The temperatures increased significantly in November, reaching higher levels in December than in four previous years. The heat increased the growth and the vigor of the vines, initiating important precision work in the vineyard. The veraison started later than average on the 3rd week of January, but was incredibly fast and homogeneous. Although the initial stages were hinting at a late harvest, picking started on March 26th for the Merlot and on April 2nd for the Cabernet Sauvignon, one week earlier than usual. Benefiting from the progressive decrease of temperature to maintain a great balance between freshness and ripeness, the grapes were picked over a long period of 9 weeks, until the last Carmenere was brought in on May 24th. Vintage 2018 resulted in the perfect combination between a generous harvest and a tremendously high level of quality on all our Bordeaux varieties.

18 months in new French oak