2021 Clos Apalta
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Tasting notes
A blend of 75% Carmenere, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, the 2021 Clos Apalta is a deep ruby/purple hue with a brilliant nose of blackcurrants, red plums, green tobacco, lead pencil, and exotic, floral nuances. It's wonderfully perfumed, complex, and nuanced aromatically, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with wonderful purity and a finesse-driven style. I love its overall balance, it blossoms with time in the glass, has ripe, polished tannins, integrated acidity, and a gorgeous finish. I'm not sure it matches the 2022, but it's nevertheless a brilliant bottle of wine. Give it a short decant if drinking any time soon and enjoy this beauty any time over the coming 15+ years.
Critic scores
James Suckling
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Clos Apalta consists of 75% Carménère, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, aged for 24 months in 75% new French oak. It opens with a rich, lavish and inviting bouquet of black fruits, purple flowers, pipe tobacco and graphite. The palate is smooth and velvety, revealing its ripe, vibrant character while maintaining a sense of sophistication. It concludes with a focused, lively finish of ripe fruits and polished tannins. While it distinctly emphasizes its luxurious profile, it does so without completely overshadowing its origins, something not all who chase this style accomplish.
Hillside granitic vineyards, alongside older vines dating back to 1907 on the flatlands. A kick of spice greets you on the opening, this is reserved at first with carefully constructed dense blackcurrant and black cherry fruits, deeply coloured, cocoa dusted, opening to show rose bud and lilac, with an edge of capsicum and cayenne pepper. Exceptionally good quality. 78% new oak for ageing, 3.79ph. Andrea Léon technical director, organically farmed.
The 2021 Clos Apalta comprises 75% Carménère, with the remainder filled out by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, sourced from the eponymous Apalta Vineyard. It was aged for 24 months in oak barrels, two-thirds of which were new. This dark purple wine reveals nuanced aromas of graphite, herbs, dried plums and blackberry marmalade, complemented by mint, -like notes over a green bell pepper layer. Plush and ample on the palate, it is lifted by a mild refreshing quality that adds a rare nimbleness to its flow. This long-lasting red is a serious wine, less influenced by Michel Rolland's style than in other years, as the fresh vintage imparted a lighter, less ripe and more expressive character. Clos Apalta is one of those rare Chilean wines that reliably showcases the characteristics of each vintage while maintaining a consistent house style. That steadiness is a boon for consumers, as it allows them to appreciate the impact of different vintages, which is a significant part of the allure of high-quality wines.
About the producer
Chile’s Clos Apalta is arguably South America’s most successful estate, garnering praise from the world’s leading wine critics and connoisseurs. The 2005 vintage was named Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year – the only South American wine to do so – and the wines continue to impress.
Product details
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah / Shiraz, Carmenere, Merlot
Red
Dry