1998 Almaviva

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. It has evolved in a very classical way and has a profile that many could confuse with Bordeaux—spicy (even showing curry with time in the glass), with notes of bay leaf and incense, some austerity and a lively palate. The label says 13.5% alcohol, which feels right; the tannins have been fully resolved, and the texture is silky and the flavors quite focused. Even with the conditions I explained, the grapes were healthy, as it was not a year of botrytis. A superb showing of a vintage that many considered catastrophic. I think this can continue living in bottle for another decade, but it won't improve.