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

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)

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.