Patricio Tapia: Tod Mostero left Almaviva to take charge of Dominus Estate in Napa Valley in 2007. The new winemaker, Michel Friou (formerly winemaker at Casa Lapostolle) took over the aging and final blending of this wine. A brilliant double act that has made for one of Almaviva’s most dazzling expressions: a precise combination of ripe black fruit, outlined by a mineral acidity and tannins as fine and resistant as a steel net. This blend included 28 percent Carmenère, half of which came from Apalta in the warmer Colchagua Valley—a decision that appears to contradict Almaviva’s “château” spirit, but that does not affect the final result. 18 (94)