Almaviva 1998

Professional Ratings

• 94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  The 1998 Almaviva is one of the few vintages that were never rated, and as I had the chance to taste a bottle from the winery with current winemaker Michel Friu, I took the opportunity to write this note to complete the information in our database. 1998 was at the time considered one of the worst vintages ever, for the simple reason that it was a very rainy year, with 730 liters of rain during the year in Puente Alto. It was also a cooler year, and they were not ready for such weather; many were unprepared, and there was less ripeness, which was considered a catastrophe at the time. The thing with years that are less ripe, with moderate alcohol and more acidity, is that the wines often develop better than expected, sometimes better than the warm and dry years, and this 1998 is a good example of that.

• 93 Wine Enthusiast