Product DescriptionClos Apalta is a wine estate in the Apalta Valley, a sub-region of Colchagua, Chile. It was founded in 1994 by the Bournet Lapostolle family; their first vintage was 1997. Charles-Henri de Bournet Marnier Lapostolle has led the property as CEO since 2013. Michel Rolland has been the winemaking consultant here since the beginning. The 60-hectare vineyard is laid out in an amphitheatre, largely facing southeast. There are a lot of old vines here, with an average age of 80 years old. The oldest vines date back to 1915-1920. The vineyard has been certified organic since 2009.
The wines here are red Bordeaux blends. Carménère is the signature grape variety here, along with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. There are two wines produced: Clos Apalta and a second wine called Le Petit Clos.
James Suckling (99 points) - 'A really refined, expressive and layered Clos Apalta with fine olives, incense, cigar box, cocoa powder, Spanish chocolate, pencil shavings, graphite and fine spices. Juicy, bright and full-bodied palate with a fine saline, savory twist. Very long and juicy. 64% carmenere, 19% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 2% petit verdot. Real finesse from 2020. Drink from 2024'.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate (95 Points) - 'The grand vin 2020 Clos Apalta was produced with a blend of 64% Carmenere, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot from a ripe and warm year. It’s ripe, concentrated, dense and powerful, reflecting the house style and the conditions of the year, with more influence from the elevage than in the second wine, Le Petit Clos. It fermented with indigenous yeasts for five to six weeks, with manual punch-down of the cap in 7,500-liter French oak vats, followed by malolactic in new French oak barrels. The elevage was 27 months in 85% new barrels and 15% second use barrels. It has a creamy, smoky and spicy personality, with notes of sweet spices, such as cinnamon and vanilla and ripe blackberries, and it is quite forward, ripe and showy, with generous oak and 15% alcohol. It’s lush with abundant, fine-grained tannins and a persistent finish. Give it a little more time in bottle, and enjoy with powerful food. 116,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2022'. [Luis Gutierrez, 31/08/2023]
Product Details
Region: Colchagua
Grape(s): 64% Carmenère, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot
ABV: 15.0%
Vintage: 2020
