ALMAVIVA
2015
A Cabernet Sauvignon blended with 24% Carménère, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot from Puente Alto, Maipo, aged for 18 months in barrels and clay vats due to the hot year. The usual local black currant flavors are present, along with maraschino cherry. Complex, with clear influence from the oak, this is an alcoholic wine with a firm structure and taut feel. A serious-minded balance between freshness and flavor allows it to breathe pleasantly. Drinking range: 2020 - 2030 Rating: 93 Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous.com (Mar 2020)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
A glorious and complex nose of tobacco, blackberries and hints of stones and flowers. Hints of bitter chocolate. Full-bodied, very tight and compacted. Linear backbone gives this form and tension. It has the same character on the palate as well as cayenne and other spice. Loved the 2014 but this shows more fine-grained tannins. So balanced and harmonious. A blend of 69% cabernet sauvignon, 24% carmenere, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. Needs four or five years in bottle but a joy to taste now. Rating: 100 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2017)
The 2015 harvest conditions in Maipo Valley were marked by a drier than average winter, with a cumulative 243 mm of rainfall from May to September 2014. The period from mid-November to mid-December was cooler and cloudier than the first two weeks of November and all of October, which were warm, dry and sunny. Fortunately these lower temperatures that occurred at the end of flowering did not affect the future production of the vines. Actually all the varieties showed a rather high production potential, forcing important cluster thinning on most of the varieties to reduce their yields.
Summer was particularly hot and dry, with high temperatures from mid-December until the third week of March. The veraison started earlier than expected, as well as the harvest of the first batch of Merlot, which was picked on March 16th, two weeks earlier than usual. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were then harvested between April 1st and May 13th, taking advantage of the progressive temperature decrease, especially at night, to maintain a great balance in the fruit between freshness and ripeness. The whole harvest was particularly long, lasting for more than 10 weeks, until the last batch of Carmenere was brought in on May 26th.
Assemblage:
Cabernet Sauvignon: 69 %
Carmenère: 24 %
Cabernet Franc: 5 %
Petit Verdot: 2 %
Barrel Ageing: 18 Months, New French Oak.
Tasting Notes:
The 2015 vintage of Almaviva captivates, complete with its opaque red brilliance and powerful, complex nose. An alliance of ripe fruit and subtle floral aromas permeate before leaving place to caramel, licorice and graphite notes. The multitude of aromas continues with a sumptuous, well-balanced expression on the palate. A juicy attack of ripe fruit, such as raspberry, blackcurrant, and black cherry is framed by a broad structure with fine, polished, velvety tannins, well blended with flavors of vanilla andcocoa. The finish is silky, yet slightly mineral. The harvest of 2015 is an exquisite combination of complexity and harmony, a superb viage to celebrate Almaviva’s twentieth anniversary.Winemaker's notes (Sept 2016)
Almaviva
Founded in 1997, Almaviva winery is a joint venture between Baroness Philippine de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle of Concha y Toro. The partnership came about with a view to make an exceptional Franco-Chilean wine that would combine the classic traditions and knowledge of Bordeaux, with the local climate, terroir and vineyards of Chile. The French Château concept, where the terroir, the bodega and the technical team work together exclusively in the production of an excellent wine, was the first of its kind in Chile.
The fusion of these two cultures is evident in the name Almaviva, which has a Hispanic sonority but is in fact the name of the Count Almaviva, the hero of the classical French play The Marriage of Figaro, by Beaumarchais. The writing on the label is done in Beaumarchais’ own hand and the logo represents a ritual drum used by the Mapuche, a nod to Chile’s ancestral history.
The vineyard consists of 85 hectares, located in Puento Alto, one of the southern suburbs of Santiago and produced under the joint technical supervision of both partners. The first vintage was a great international success upon its launch in 1998. This elegant and complex wine is made from a blend of traditional Bordeaux varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot - with Cabernet Sauvignon being the dominant grape. The wine is vinified in stainless steel and aged in new French oak barrels for 16-18 months.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond' (excluding duty paid and VAT).
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price sits within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
You can register your interest via the online wishlist form, by emailing privateclients@leaandsandeman.co.uk, or by calling 020 7221 1982. All wishlist requests are subject to availability and final confirmation. Inevitably, some wines will have to be allocated but please do not let that deter you from asking. We will do our best to satisfy all requests.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date.
Invoices are raised at in bond prices. Duty and VAT invoices will be raised on request when the wines land in the UK.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We reserve the right to levy a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant Storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other in bond deliveries are free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1,000. Orders below this total will be charged at £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchase from this offer, not a per-case charge. Please inform us of in bond delivery addresses and account details at the time of ordering.
- If the wines are required duty paid we will issue invoices at prevailing rate of duty and VAT when the wines arrive in the UK.
- The wines will become available by the end of the year and should be shipped very early next year.