Epu

2019

Wine Advocate 93+: The first truly international release of the second wine is going to be the 2019 Epu, which has changed image and label, looking a little more like Almaviva, and is going to be sold through the Bordeaux négoce. 2019 was a very dry vintage, and the blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Carmenere, 2% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc with slightly higher alcohol than 2018 and with lower acidity, matured in used barriques for one year. In terms of freshness, the wine is quite similar to the 2018 that I tasted next to it, obviously a little younger, quite intense and fruit-driven, spicy and herbal, with a creamy texture and fine-grained tannins. It's a second wine, but they also want to do something different and Epu is perhaps a little more classical, perhaps this is more Bordeaux and Almaviva is more Chilean. 70,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2020 and January 2021.

James Suckling 94: Aromas of blueberries, blackberries and fresh flowers. Very cool and pure. Medium-bodied with fine, linear and very integrated tannins that are compressed and silky-textured. New second wine of Almaviva. Needs time to open.

2020

Wine Advocate 94: The current release of their second wine is the 2020 Epu. It's selected from the same terroir and vineyard in Puente Alto, one of the most reputed places for Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile, but from the younger vines (five- to 20-year-old vines) and harvested a little earlier to preserve acidity and fruit. In the warm and dry 2020 vintage, the wine was produced with a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Carmenere, 5% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, usually higher in Cabernet and lower in Carmenere than Almaviva. It has red ripe berries, the textbook blackberries and cassis and some creamy oak. It's ripe at 14.8% alcohol and has mellow acidity, good freshness and balance, with a pH of 3.71 and 4.8 grams of acidity (tartaric). It matured for 12 months in French barriques, 10% new and 90% second use. The wine has a bright nose with a clean note of baked "morrón" peppers intermixed with red berry compote. It has a velvety plate with the luxurious texture of the modern Bordeaux, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins. It's approachable and round but should reward some time in bottle. This is a pretty serious Epu. 75,000 bottles produced. It was bottled at the end of 2021 and the first days of 2022. This is the second vintage sold through the Place de Bordeaux négociant system.

2022

Wine Advocate 93: The 2022 Epu leads with a poised yet charmingly rustic nose of ripe red fruits flanked by herbaceous, leathery accents. The palate is concentrated and full-bodied, with an opulent, forward richness that transitions to a decedent, chocolate-tinged finish of rich tannins and a lingering herbal, menthol-laced conclusion. A well-made balance between style and place, this serves as a pleasurable and accessible introduction to the more poised, nuanced Almaviva. It's a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carménère, 3% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged 12 months in 10% new French oak.

James Suckling 95: Refined sweet tobacco, black olives and hints of paprika, cedar, iron and anchovy-like savoriness. Refined sweet berries on the palate with a lovely savoriness. Medium-bodied and restrained, plush and generous, with fine tannins and a lengthy finish. 84% cabernet sauvignon, 10% carmenere, 3% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink or hold.