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2020 Viña Almaviva EPU Puente Alto

Almaviva's second wine — the Rothschild–Concha y Toro pedigree of Puente Alto, built to drink now.

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2020 Viña Almaviva EPU Puente Alto

Almaviva's second wine — the Rothschild–Concha y Toro pedigree of Puente Alto, built to drink now.

Retail $99
$59.98
/ bottle
You save $39.02
  • Second Label of Almaviva — Mouton Rothschild × Concha y Toro 
  • Same Puente Alto Vineyards as the Grand Vin, Fraction of the Price
  • "Already Delicious" ~ 94 James Suckling
  • " A Long-lasting, Rich Combination" ~ 93 Vinous Media
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Image of 2020 Viña Almaviva EPU Puente Alto 2020 Viña Almaviva EPU Puente Alto
$99
$59.98
/ bottle
You save $39.02

About The Wine

Birthed as a project between Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA (owners of Mouton Rothschild in Bordeaux) and Viña Concha y Toro S.A. in 1997 with a view to creating an exceptional Franco-Chilean wine called Almaviva. 

The name comes from Count Almaviva who 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.

Almaviva was the first wine in Chile created under this French Chateau 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. Its excellence persists as one of the great wines of Chile.

Epu is the estate's second wine, drawing on the same Puente Alto vineyards and winemaking team as the grand vin.

The fruit comes from Puente Alto in the Maipo Valley, Chile's most reputed ground for Cabernet Sauvignon. 2020 was warm and dry, and it shows: this is a fuller, more forward Epu, 81% Cabernet led with Carmenère, Merlot and Cabernet Franc filling in. Aged in one-year-old French barrels from the grand vin — the first vintage to also see a touch of new oak. Drinking well now, with the structure to hold a few years.

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At A Glance

Varietal:
Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:
Maipo Valley
Sub-Appellation:
Puente Alto
Alcohol:
14.8%
Size:
750ml

TASTING NOTES

What's in the Glass

PAIRS WITH
Beef · Venison · Steak · Lamb

Mouthfeel & Acidity

Light Body Full Body
 
 
 
 
 
Low Acidity High Acidity
 
 
 
 
 
Soft Tannins Firm Tannins
Dry Sweet

81% Cabernet Sauvignon with 12% Carmenère, 5% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc.

Blackberry, cassis and ripe plum lead, lifted by blueberry and a floral top note, with graphite, iron and sweet spice underneath. Full-bodied and supple, fine-grained tannins, creamy oak well-tucked, closing savory and long on dark chocolate.

CRITIC REVIEWS

What the Critics Said

Lots of finely roasted sweet spice and roasted sesame to the blackberries, cassis and iron, together with hints of blue fruit and cured meat. A medium-to full-bodied palate, filled with rather generous sweet berries. Fleshy, supple and savory with quite fine-grained tannins and a long finish. First year with 10% new wood. 81% cabernet sauvignon, 12% carmenere, 5% merlot and 2% cabernet franc. Already delicious, but can hold, too. ~ 94 James Suckling

The current release of their second wine is the 2020 Epu. It's selected from the same terroir and vineyard in Puente Alto, one of the most reputed places for Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile, but from the younger vines (five- to 20-year-old vines) and harvested a little earlier to preserve acidity and fruit. In the warm and dry 2020 vintage, the wine was produced with a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Carmenere, 5% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, usually higher in Cabernet and lower in Carmenere than Almaviva. It has red ripe berries, the textbook blackberries and cassis and some creamy oak. It's ripe at 14.8% alcohol and has mellow acidity, good freshness and balance, with a pH of 3.71 and 4.8 grams of acidity (tartaric). It matured for 12 months in French barriques, 10% new and 90% second use. The wine has a bright nose with a clean note of baked "morrón" peppers intermixed with red berry compote. It has a velvety plate with the luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins. It's approachable and round but should reward some time in bottle. This is a pretty serious Epu. 75,000 bottles produced. It was bottled at the end of 2021 and the first days of 2022. This is the second vintage sold through the Place de Bordeaux négociant system. ~ 94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Deep garnet, purple reflections, good depth, discreet brightening on the rim. Fine oak nuances, some caramel and blackberries, a hint of crème de cassis in the background. Juicy, red wild berries, ripe cherries, silky, supporting tannins, good freshness. Elegant and despite youth already balanced, a versatile food companion. Distributed since the 2019 vintage at the Platz Bordeaux. ~ 94 Falstaff

Shows lovely floral blueberry and loam notes up front, while the fleshy core of concentrated blackberry and cassis grabs your attention and lingers nicely around saline and iron notes. Ends with firm, dusty tannins and hints of dark chocolate. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2033. 3,500 cases made, 500 cases imported. ~ 93 Wine Spectator

The 2020 Epu is 4/5 Cabernet Sauvignon with rest made up of Carménère, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, all from Puente Alto in the Maipo Valley. Garnet-red in color. Presents intense blackcurrant and blackberry aromas with hints of mint and herbs over a bed of oak, accompanied by cedar and sweet spice notes. Indulgent and expansive in the mouth. The warm vintage's high alcohol content (15%) pumps up the voluminous, ripe expression while the tannins are refined. A long-lasting, rich combination. ~ 93 Vinous Media

~ 93 Tim Atkin Master of Wine

The notes of a hot year come through in this version of Epu, the aromas of sweet ripe fruits and exotic spices combined with herbal notes. The body is juicy with very soft tannins and acidity that moves through the mouth, providing a necessary freshness for balance. This is a wine with deep flavors and, despite that ripeness, it's not cloying or overripe. Epu is the second wine from Almaviva, the renowned winery in Alto Maipo, and corresponds more or less to 20% of the production of the 79 hectares that Almaviva has in Puente Alto (65) and in Peumo (14), the latter in the Cachapoal Valley. ~ 92 Descorchados

Born in a warm and dry vintage, this wine has a dense fruit-forward nose, exhibiting maraschino cherry and a light note of green bell pepper. It's well-structured and delivers plenty of fruit flavors. Plum, blackberry and cherry merge with vanilla and herbs alongside moderate acidity. The finish is long and offers hints of tobacco. ~ 91 Wine Enthusiast

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