In the vineyard
Almaviva’s 60 hectares sit at 650 metres’ altitude, on the northern bank of the Maipo River, some of the region’s highest and coolest vineyards.
The site benefits from cool breezes from the Andes and a large diurnal range, especially in the summer – encouraging the development of perfectly ripe fruit with vibrant acidity and delicate aromas.
The dry growing season, as throughout Chile, means there is little disease pressure, but that irrigation is needed. Almaviva uses a state-of-the-art underground drip irrigation system, giving each vine only the amount of water it needs. The oldest vines were planted in 1978.
In the winery
Winemaking at Almaviva is headed up by the renowned Michael Friou. The grapes are picked, sorted and de-stemmed, with each parcel vinified separately. They’re then lightly crushed before being gravity-fed to stainless steel tanks.
The must undergoes a cold soak to extract colour and aromatics, then warmed to start fermentation. The wine is then transferred to new French oak for 16 to 18 months, then fined with egg whites before bottling.