We have a small quantity of the excellent Chilean Clos Apalta 2016 (99 JS) to offer at £425 per 6 IB.
Since its outstanding debut 1997 vintage, Casa Lapostolle's Clos Apalta bottling has helped to establish Chile as a premier red-wine region. Luis Gutierrez of the Wine Advocate believes the 2016 is one of the finest of all time and James Suckling enthuses that it is "already breathtaking".
“The palate is full-bodied, and the tannins are fine-grained and in balance with the rest of the components, coming through as a compact and powerful yet elegant red. This has to be one of the finest Clos Apaltas of all time."
Wine Advocate, Luis Gutierrez
With Michel Rolland as consultant, Clos Apalta is made using the latest techniques in precision wine-making straight out of Bordeaux: fermenting in smaller lots and similar to Cos d'Estournel, a state-of-the-art, 6 level gravity-flow winery. The distinctive blend of Carmenere (which really excels in this region), Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from the estate's oldest vines, many of which are pre-phylloxera and are un-grafted. This is great value for one of South Americas finest wines.
“Chilean wines have never been better thanks to a string of excellent vintages... great wines by all standards and rank among the best wines of the world, even when compared against classical regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy”
James Suckling
2016 CLOS APALTA
£425 per 6x75cl IB
“This is really focused and refined with fantastic dried flowers and dark berries. Dried-lavender and mint undertones. Medium-to full-bodied with refined and polished tannins that are all together and so focused. Really integrated and melted together on the palate. Compact and very linear. Please give this two or three years to come completely together, but it’s already breathtaking. Better to drink after 2022."
99pts James Suckling
“The 2016 Clos Apalta is a blend of 64% Carménère (higher than in 2015), 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot hitting the scale at 15% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The Carménère and Cabernet were planted ungrafted in 1920, and all the vineyards are organic and biodynamic (certified) and very low yielding. The hand-destemmed grapes fermented in oak vats and barriques (17%), and the wine went through malolactic and 26 months of aging in brand new French barriques. I've seen a great improvement in Carménère in Chile in the last few years, perhaps since they stopped wanting to grow it everywhere and focused on the places where it grows well, like the Apalta region. They have also learned to tame the green aromas and fierce tannins and alcohol and to produce much more harmonious reds, like this aromatic example that reveals spice, tobacco leaves, red fruit and floral notes without noticeable alcohol or excess ripeness. The oak is surprisingly well integrated for such a young wine, and there is harmony, concentration and balance to make it age in bottle for a long time. The palate is full-bodied, and the tannins are fine-grained and in balance with the rest of the components, coming through as a compact and powerful yet elegant red. This has to be one of the finest Clos Apaltas of all time. 62,356 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2018."
96pts Wine Advocate, Luis Gutierrez
Contact us to enquire or register your interest. Limited quantity available. Available In Bond, UK late 2019.
UK £
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