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Domain: Almaviva

Almaviva wine stems from a 1996 partnership between the companies Vina Concha y Toro and Baron Philippe de Rothschild SA (owner of the Château Mouton Rothschild). Despite its Hispanic name, the word "Almaviva" was explicitly chosen for its ties with French culture in a nod to the protagonist of The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais. This serves to anchor the mixed heritage of this great wine in the minds of consumers: a combination of French culture and expertise with the characteristic beauty of South American land, "to bring the world a promise of pleasure and excellence", according to its owners. The Almaviva vineyard is exposed to cold, humid winters and summers marked by high temperatures during the day and cool temperatures at night: perfect conditions in which to grow Cabernet Sauvignon, the main grape variety in the assemblage. The grapes for Almaviva wine are hand-picked and processed using the very latest vinification technology in a 4,200 m2 bodega. It is aged in essentially new oak barrels under the watchful eye of a French-trained cellar master. The success of Almaviva wine on the international market cleared the way for a new generation of structured Chilean wines well-suited to ageing. Although there is no classification system in Chile, the `Primer Orden' designation emerged at the same time as the Almaviva and can be compared to the French concept of Cru Classé.