Almaviva 2017

Professional Ratings

• 100 James Suckling
  The aromas of blackberry leaves and iodine are wild and exotic here with mussel shells and earth underneath. Full-bodied, tight and chewy with powerful tannins that show muscle. It’s structured and powerful. Dense and very, very deep. Don’t touch this until 2025.
• 99 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
  COMMENTARY: The 2017 Almaviva touched my senses as few wines have. In a lifetime of wines, only a handful have risen to a level beyond the cosmos. At first swirl, sniff, and sip, the wine seemed to be hiding its charms. But with a little time, this one rose to the occasion and transported me into another dimension. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers vibrant aromas and flavors of red and blue fruits and adds a note of perfume and underlying oak. While enticing now, one should give this wine a decade in the cellar. But, if you can't wait, then pull the cork and pair it with a rosemary and garlic-infused, roast leg of lamb. Try a white wine reduction with the pan juices for added pleasure. (Tasted: June 21, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
• 97 Decanter
  A Bordeaux blend, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (65%) and Carmenère (25%). Power and concentration, elegance and balance. Exuberant aromas of cassis, damson plums and peppers. The palate is complex with cigar box, dark fruit and herbal notes framed by dense and polished tannins, finely integrated oak and finishing on a remarkable lifted length. A wine that will benefit from decanting or laying down.
• 95 Tasting Panel
  A collaboration between Viña Concha y Toro and Baron Philippe de Rothschild has yielded this remarkable blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carménère, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Merlot. It’s silky and lush, with length, complexity, and a multifaceted palate of ripe plum, soft herbs, and toasty oak.
• 94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  I retasted the 2016 and 2017 next to the current 2018 to get some comparisons. Tasting the three years side by side, the 2017 Almaviva is clearly the one with more herbal notes and lots of concentration. It was a warm year with low yields and high concentration, but funnily enough, there are more herbaceous notes in the wine. This is a year of power and concentration, but the tannins are nicely coated by juicy fruit. Rating : 94+

• 94 Wine Enthusiast

  A ruby color with rusty edges and aromas of plum, cherry, cassis, olive, chocolate and spice make for an exciting opening. A structured palate is solid in feel but not hard, while this Cabernetled blend tastes of ripe plum and currant along with oak-based spice. A full finish is generous but mellow, meaning this is drinkable now but should improve over the next several years; drink through 2026.

• 93 Wine Spectator

  Taut and savory, with loads of freshly crushed green herbal accents to the mineral-infused red currant and plum flavors. Cedary midpalate, featuring a burnished finish filled with spicy notes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Drink now through 2026.