Almaviva was established in 1996 as a collaboration between two giants in the world of wine – Baron Philippe de Rothschild of Château Mouton-Rothschild and Concha y Toro. Combining Bordelais experience with the Maipo Valley’s perfect climate, the idea was to produce the country’s first Grand Cru Classé equivalent – a wine that has become, in James Suckling’s words, “a benchmark for the reds of the Andes”. Almaviva is the name of both the winery and wine born of the joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Viña Concha y Toro. The Almaviva estate includes a mansion and a winery as well as a 50 hectare (124-acre) vineyard planted with three typical Bordeaux grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Carmenere. The wine is the result of the successful encounter of two cultures: Chile offers its soil, its climate and its vineyard, while France brings its winegrowing traditions and expertise. The name Almaviva is taken from classic French literature: Count Almaviva is a central figure in the famous play The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais (1732-1799), turned into an opera by the genius of Mozart. The label bears the name “Almaviva” in Beaumarchais’ own hand and pays tribute to Chile’s ancestral history with three reproductions of a symbolic drawing from the Mapuche civilisation. The recent synthesis of French tradition and American soil has delivered an exceptional wine embodying the best of both worlds, a Primer Orden that really shines.