Made from a blend of classic Bordeaux varieties, in which Cabernet Sauvignon predominates, Almaviva is the result of a felicitous encounter between two cultures. Chile offers its soil, its climate and its vineyards, while France contributes its winemaking savoir-faire and traditions. The result is an exceptionally elegant and complex wine. Its launch was a major milestone in the development of Chilean wines, both in Chile itself and in the international market. A cool spring generated a great percentage of coulure on Cabernet Sauvignon, resulting finally in a year of very low yields with small bunches and few berries per bunch. The vintage was also characterized by a very late vegetative and fruit development, 10 to 15 days later than normal, ending in an extremely late ripening process. At the end of April, only 9 % of the grapes were harvested, while 40% of the grapes were already harvested at the same date in 2009. The harvest started ten days later than usual, on April 5 with Merlot, and ended on May 25 with the last Carmenère. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were picked between April 26 and May 20. Barrel aging was of 17 Months in brand new French oak. Obviously, 2010 was marked by the severe earthquake that affected all the Centre-South of Chile on February 27th. The winery and the vineyard facilities did not suffer any damage. However, the vineyards were less irrigated during the first two weeks of March, and the weather happened to be cooler after the earthquake. All these peculiar conditions favored an extraordinary quality of grapes, full of fresh and ripe fruit, a great level of acidity, elegance and purity.