Cheers! from the Duke of Bourbon 
In the late 1970s, Baron Philippe de Rothschild joined forces with Robert Mondavi in the fabulously successful joint venture known as Opus One. Flush with that triumph, he proposed a similar arrangement with Chile's Concha y Toro. The skillfull and talented winemakers Enrique Tirado (Concha y Toro) and Patrick Leon (Mouton-Rothschild) worked with a blend of classic Bordeaux grape varieties, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards situated in the Puento Alto region of Chile's Maipo Valley, and produced a delicious wine they call Almaviva.There is still no official classification of wines in Chile. However, the launch of Almaviva has given rise to the "Primer Orden" category, a Spanish term that corresponds to the French concept "Premier Grand Cru Classe" and the English "First Growth." In order to qualify as "Primer Orden," a wine must come from the grapes of a sole vineyard, be made in one single bodega, and have its own technical team, all three dedicated exclusively to the production of one wine. Almaviva meets all these criteria and more. Almaviva is the name of both the winery and the wine born of the joint venture. It is also that of Pierre de Beaumarchais' character, the "Count of Almaviva" in his Marriage of Figaro, a work Mozart later turned into one of the most popular operas ever. The classical epithet, laid out in Beaumarchais' hand, shares the label (above right) with an insignia of pre-hispanic roots symbolizing a union of European and Chilean cultures that have evolved into a unique identity. The recent synthesis of French tradition and Chilean soil has delivered an exceptional wine embodying the best of both worlds, a Primer Orden that really shines. Chilean wines are starting to become recognized for excellence as well as for value. Wine writer Jancis Robinson in her article Chilean Wine Comes of Age (January 14, 2004) noted that Chilean wines had taken the top two places in a comparative tasting, ahead of Chateaux Lafite, Latour and Margaux from both 2000 and 2001 vintages. She went on to opine, "I suspect that if non-Errázuriz wines had been included, notably the joint venture between Concha y Toro and Mouton- Rothschild, Almaviva, Chile might have performed even better at what will doubtless come to be known in the history of Chilean wine as the Berlin tasting ." Robert Parker has a thing or two to say as well in a blogged note, "BTW. . . one of the great wines I tasted in Bordeaux was from Chile....the 2003 Almaviva tasted last week at Mouton . . . is the finest cabernet-based wine I have ever had from Chile . . . pretty special stuff . . .." His blog is especially noteworthy in light of the comments in his review of 2002 Almaviva (RP 93), "The 2002 Almaviva is the finest produced to date by this joint venture between Vina Concha y Toro and the Baron Philippe de Rothschild." Their wines just keep getting better and better.The Duke has secured some of the "pretty special stuff" 2003 Almaviva for delivery in mid-April. Pre-order 6 or more of this neo-classic for $49.99 per bottle. Call the Duke today! Note: Price is good only while our supplies last and may be changed at any time without notice.
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