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2020 Almaviva "EPU" Bordeaux Blend Puente Alto Valle de Maipo

2020 Almaviva "EPU" Bordeaux Blend Puente Alto Valle de Maipo

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94

James Suckling

Review Date: 12/2022

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.

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Price: $49.99
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Professional Reviews

94

Wine Advocate

Review Date: 04/2023
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. (LG)

93

Vinous

Review Date: 03/2023
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. (JH)

93

Wine Spectator

Review Date: 04/2023
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. (AR)

Staff Reviews

K&L Buyer
Review Date: 07/2025
Email Rachael
Full-bodied, richly concentrated and packed with juicy plum, cassis and raspberry notes, the 2020 Almaviva “EPU” bursts from the glass with vibrant, youthful energy. As the second wine of Almaviva—a collaboration between Baron Philippe de Rothschild (owners of Château Mouton Rothschild) and Concha y Toro (one of Chile's most famous wine companies)—EPU is made from younger vines at the estate and is crafted to be accessible upon release, offering up immediate pleasure. The attention to detail in the winemaking, however, is the same as the flagship bottling, showcasing the impeccable terroir of the Puente Alto subregion of the Maipo Valley. This vintage is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, balanced with 12% Carmenere, 5% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. 2020 was a warm dry region in Puente Alto, which is immediately apparent in the high level of fruit density and voluptuous mouthfeel. A subtle green herbaceous edge (rosemary, thyme) adds complexity, while supple, well-integrated tannins offer fantastic structure. At 15% alcohol, this is not a shy wine, but will certainly appeal to Napa wine collectors, especially at this very reasonable price point! Pair this one with ribeye, osso buco or anything involving grilled portobello mushrooms.
Review Date: 07/2025
Email Scott
A lot of you already know about the reputation for quality that Almaviva has. No exception with this release! What a nose! So dark and inviting with dark, dark, dark, black and blue fruits. Dark cassis, blackberry and just a smidge (a small smidge!) of game scents and dried herbs. In the mouth, mouth-coating with an undertone of bright red fruits. Dominated by cassis, cream, fresh oak (not toasted) and cocoa. This is all finalized by a lingering finish with a very nice subtle "bite" of acid and clean stoney flavors. I have had experience with aging the more expensive Almaviva wines, so I would expect this one to age equally well. Bordeaux and admirers of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon should really sit up and take notice of this wine. It is a serious competitor.

Notes

Almaviva is a collaboration between two legendary wine producers: Baron Philippe de Rothschild (owners of Château Mouton Rothschild) and Concha y Toro, one of Chile's most prominent wine companies. Located in Puente Alto—the highest area of the Maipo Valley—Almaviva is ranked amongst the country’s most internationally acclaimed wines. It combines French winemaking tradition with Chile’s distinctive terroir. EPU is their second wine, comprised of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a small amount of Carmenere, both sourced from younger vines at the estate. Matured primarily in neutral French oak barrels, in 2020 a small portion of new French oak was included. The resulting wine is fresh and approachable, while maintaining the same level of quality as the flagship bottling.

Product Details

Origin: Chile

Type/Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

SKU: #1898121

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