Almaviva 2022

What fabulous perfumed aromas of lavender, blackcurrants, graphite, tapenade and hints of sweet tobacco. So complex and sophisticated. Medium- to full-bodied with tannins that have an incredible finesse and length. It goes on for minutes. It’s all about elegance and class. There’s harmony and freshness for a dry year. Seductive and so long. 72% cabernet sauvignon, 23% carmenere, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drinkable now, but one for the cellar. Drink from 2028.

The 2022 Almaviva leads with a brooding, woody nose with savory, roasted pepper aromas and pleasing top notes of lavender and dried herbs. The palate is dense, luscious and staining, with considerable concentration and opulence. The finish continues this lush, layered opulence, concluding with supple, firm, unyielding tannins, welcomely braced with fresh acidity and herbal, methol-tinged flourishes. Despite its immediate richness, this is quite wound up, and it will take a few years to integrate its formidable tannins further. But it should be a joy to watch develop over the coming decade and beyond. It's a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Carménère, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged for 20 months in 70% new French oak.

Plush tannins balanced by pulses of acidity, this is sensational, with waves of olive paste, cassis, bilberry, smoked vanilla bean, cocoa dusted, set off by violet overtones on the aromatics. Will benefit from a few years in bottle, and will go the distance in terms of ageing potential. Harvest started March 21, three days earlier than 2021 but five days later than 2020, and ended on April 29 for Cabernet, with Carménère brought in between May 2 and 11, after a season with just 79mm of total rainfall. Rothschild & Concha Y Toro owners, 70% new oak for ageing. Michel Friou winemaker.