Santiago, Chile – February 4, 2020 – Viña Almaviva from Chile’s Maipo Valley region, has been awarded “Wine of the Decade” by renowned critic James Suckling, where he recently announced awards for the greatest contributions to the wine industry.
Suckling stated, “It gives me enormous pleasure to recognize Almaviva 2017 with our highest honor. Over the last ten years, we tasted more than 100,000 wines and this wine distinguished itself with fantastic aging potential as well as its iconic position for Chilean wines. It’s the second ‘perfect’, 100-point wine from this excellent winery after the great 2015 Almaviva.”
According to Manuel Louzada, CEO of Viña Almaviva S.A. “We feel extremely honored to receive such an important award from Mr. James Suckling, one of the most respected and prestigious wine critics. I believe this is also a unique recognition to the overall extraordinary work that has been done at Almaviva for over 20 years and, particularly, to the exceptional work of our Winemaker, Michel Friou, understanding in detail our unique terroir and making spectacular wine.”
Baroness Philippine de Rothschild (1933 – 2014), Chair of the Supervisory Board of Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A., and Mr. Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle (1920 – 1998), Chairman of Viña Concha y Toro S.A. established a joint venture in 1997. Their partnership was based on the vision to create a world class Franco-Chilean wine. Produced under the joint technical supervision of both partners, Almaviva uses time-honored principles of the French Château concept, in which grapes of its own vineyard are made by its own technical team at a single bodega – all three exclusively dedicated to the production of one wine.
Made from a blend of classic Bordeaux grape varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, followed by Carménère, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot. Almaviva is the result of the best of both worlds: Chile offers its soil, climate and vines, while France contributes its winemaking know-how and traditions. The result is a wine of exceptional power, complexity and ageing potential. The first vintage was crafted in 1996 and launched in 1998 – marking a major milestone in the development of Chilean wines, both in Chile and to international acclaim.
