Source: jamessuckling.com. Issue Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 (JS-97)

A more savory nose with dried leaves and forest wood, as well as a very rich array of ripe dark cherries and berries. The palate has such intense blueberry and plum flavors with sleek and supple tannins. Intense dark-fruit flavors and such a long and very plush feel here. Impressive. Drink or hold.

Source: 239, The Wine Advocate; Issue Date: 31st Oct 2018 (RP-94)

I retasted the 2014 Almaviva next to the current 2015 and 2016 for comparison's sake. 2014 is considered a very good year in the powerful and concentrated way. In Puente Alto, they didn't have problems with frost, but yields were some of the lowest in recent times. This vintage has more alcohol (the label reads 15% alcohol). It's developing at a slow pace?it still has some lactic notes that denote youth?and should have a long life ahead in the bottle. This could be a long-distance runner of a vintage; in fact, it remains more closed than the rest of recent vintages.
Drink Date 2018 - 2034

Source: Winemaker

CABERNET SAUVIGNON - 68%
CARM?N?RE - 22%
CABERNET FRANC - 8%
PETIT VERDOT - 2%

Barrel Aging: 18 Months, new French oak.

HARVEST REPORT
The 2014 harvest conditions in Maipo Valley were marked by a drier than average winter, with a cumulative 230 mm of rainfall from May to September 2013. The severe frosts that touched the whole Central Valley of Chile during the second half of September did not affect our estate vines in Puente Alto, as budbreak had not yet occurred. However, it did delay the budding of Cabernet Sauvignon and at the end of November, growth was still very limited. Flowering was rather heterogeneous, ending in a significant level of coulure on the late varieties. The yields on Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere were naturally low, while cluster thinning was applied to the Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot varietals.
Summer was warm and dry, with December and January experiencing higher temperatures and veraison occurring earlier than usual. Ultimately, harvest started earlier than average, yet under optimal conditions with the first Merlot harvested on April 1st, and the last Carmen?re on May 16th. This exceptional vintage was truly balanced with expressive fruit, complexity, structure and concentration.

TASTING NOTES
The 2014 vintage displays a dark ruby red color, deep and opaque. The nose reveals a generous, layered and powerful bouquet of blueberry, blackberry and blackcurrant, associated with hints of cedar and spices, fine notes of vanilla, walnut, licorice and dark chocolate. Dense and full-bodied, this wine fills the mouth with round, ripe and refined tannins, leaving an overall impression of balance, finesse and persistence. Produced from a superb vintage, this wine strikes a wonderful combination of elegance and power.