2015 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Le Petit Clos

The second wine in a true Bordeaux sense, the 2015 Le Petit Clos is a wine of structure and good balance in the manner of their 2001 and 2006, concentrated and powerful vintages. It's a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Carmenère and 4% Petit Verdot from younger slope vineyards and Cabernet Sauvignon from Clos Apalta. The wine is produced in the same way as the grand vin, but it has less oak and has quite a lot of character from the Carmenère. I find this fresher and less oaky than the wines I have in mind from the past, with more elegance within their style. 36,667 bottles were filled in September 2017.