2015 Vina Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile (750ml)

WINEMAKER'S NOTES:

An alliance of ripe fruit and subtle floral aromas give way to caramel, licorice and graphite notes. On the palate, flavours of raspberry, blackcurrant, and black cherry are framed by a broad structure of fine, velvety tannins. This tannic presence is carried with flavors of vanilla and cocoa, leaving a silky and mineral finish. Precise and elegant, Almaviva 2015 is a great combination of complexity and harmony, a superb vintage to celebrate Almaviva’s twentieth anniversary.                                                                Blend: 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Carmenere, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

TASTING NOTES:

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. Needs four or five years in bottle but a joy to taste now.

James Suckling, 100 pts. 

This latest release has 2% of Petit Verdot, adding a dash of dark pepper spice. It's a lovely wine, structured, intense but not tight, and beautifully balanced. There are some great liquorice and soft berry spice flavours, with notes of dark chocolate, cinnamon and sage. It has soft, smooth tannins which lend a supple texture to the wine. This gets better and better in the glass and has a freshness and grip that suggests great aging potential.

Decanter, 96 pts. 

Powerful and rich, this is full of juicy dark plum, cherry tart and berry compote flavors that are creamy and lush. Hints of French roast and spice emerge midpalate, with a long finish that is elegant and savory. Drink now through 2023.

Wine Spectator, 95 pts.