A vertical tasting of Chilean superstar Almaviva – Wednesday 30th September

Over the last 30 years, Almaviva has evolved from an ambitious dream of creating a Chilean interpretation of the Bordeaux château model to an undisputed reference point of South American fine wine.

Conceived by the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, the wine was to be drawn from a single site on the gravelly soils of Puente Alto in the Maipo Valley identified by her business partner, the Chilean giant Concha y Toro, and produced under the technical supervision of both partners.

The first vintage, released in 1998, achieved immediate recognition, eventually becoming the first non-Bordeaux wine to be offered through the region’s La Place distribution network, a marker of its arrival in the global fine-wine establishment. Having established a consistent record of critical acclaim, today, Almaviva sits firmly in the top tier of Chilean fine wine, alongside the likes of Don Melchor and Viñedo Chadwick.

Its style has evolved over time. While retaining the Cabernet-led structure and polished French-oak élevage, the winemaking increasingly seeks to express freshness, balance and the cool, Andean-influenced Puente Alto terroir.

The man responsible for this evolution is Michel Friou, who this year marked his 20th vintage as Almaviva head winemaker. After an early career that took him from the Languedoc to the Loire Valley and even India, Michel graduated to such renowned names as Cape Mentelle in Margaret River and Château Margaux. That affinity with Bordeaux varieties eventually led him to Chile, firstly at Viña Aquitania (Maipo Valley), and then eight vintages alongside Michel Rolland at Casa Lapostolle (Colchagua Valley) before joining the Rothschild group in 2004.

We invite you to join him to taste six vintages of Almaviva, going back to 1999, as well as the more approachable, earlier-drinking second wine, Epu.

The wines we’ll be tasting:
2022 Epu, Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile
2024 Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile
2022 Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile
2021 Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile
2015 Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile
2008 Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile
1999 Almaviva, Puente Alto, Chile

Wednesday 30th September
St. James’s Room
18:30 – Glass on arrival
19:00 – Masterclass starts
20:30 – Masterclass ends

Please note, tickets are refundable for cancellations up to 5 business days before the event. Cancellations must be made in writing to [email protected]. Any cancellations within 5 business days of the event are non-refundable unless 67 Pall Mall resells the ticket to another Member. This is only possible when the event is sold out and there is a waiting list.

Please note that once your order is placed, your ticket status will display as “processing” until after the event, when your member account is then charged. You will receive an email confirmation after ordering your tickets, stating that your order is being processed – please take this as full confirmation that your booking has been finalised. For any questions, please reach out to [email protected].