2012 | Clos Apalta | Vinotheque

A dense, ripe and powerful style, with concentrated flavors of dark plum, blackberry and chocolate. Very plush and creamy midpalate, with a rich finish loaded with espresso notes, along with medium-grained tannins.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 2012 Clos Apalta started off a little closed, but with air, the spicy aromas seemed to dominate (cloves, black pepper); there are also lots of smoky notes over a core of ripe black fruit with a volatile hint. It feels young and greatly marked by its two years in new French oak barrels. The palate is still young and tannic, and the finish is a little dry. There's not a lot of fruit in there and it somehow feels like it lacks a bit in the mid palate. For fans of the style, but even though, you should wait to pull the cork.

• James Suckling: Plenty of spice and blackberry with some dried potpourri. Underlying cedar character as well. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins and a fresh finish. Slightly dry tannins at the end. Drink now.

Producer Information

Clos Apalta is a prestige brand owned by Casa Lapostolle, one of Chile's high-profile wineries. A pair of wines are made from fruit grown at the vineyard at Apalta in the Colchagua Valley. While the main Casa Lapostolle winery is located in Cunaco, Clos Apalta has its own facility in the vineyard. This is a gravity-fed winery built on seven levels into the mountainside. The roof of its circular vat room is inspired by the staves of a barrel. There are 60 hectares (150 acres) planted in an amphitheater between 150 and 300 meters altitude. There are also multiple soil types – these and the differences in elevation give many different microterroirs. The oldest parcels were planted between 1915 and 1920 from stocks imported from France at the turn of the century. The flagship wine of the same name is hand harvested at night from the best plots and is usually made up of roughly two-thirds Carmenère. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are the principal secondary components, and some vintages will have a dash of Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot. Clos Apalta is fermented in large oak vats before aging in new oak barrels for around two years. A second wine, Le Petit Clos, was introduced with the 2014 vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon is the primary ingredient, though the proportion has varied in the first few vintages (between 40 and 95 percent). Fruit from the Apalta estate may also be used for other wines in the Casa Lapostolle portfolio.

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