Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2020

Bordeaux Blend aus Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvigon und Merlot; 1994 entdeckte Alexandrea Marnier-Lapostolle das Apalta Tal und kaufte hier Weinberge. Von Anfang an wurde hier nur die allerhöchste Qualität angestrebt. Die ältesten Reben von Clos Apalta wurden zwischen 1915 und 1920 gepflanzt, durchschnittlich sind die Reben 80 Jahre als. 40 ha der Weinberge haben wurzelechte Reben, denn die Reblaus existiert in Chile nicht. Die Böden sind sehr unterschiedlich. Im Weinberge wird nach biologischen und bio-dyanmischen Richtlinen gearbeitet. Die Gebäude samt Kellerei liegen wunderschön auf einer Anhöhe. Nicht nur der Keller ist perfekt ausgestattet, auch ein wunderschönes Hotel wurde ins Gebäudeensemble integriert; 5-6 Wochen Mazeration mit manuellem Unterstoßen, Gärung in Vats und Barriques, Malolaktik in neuen, französischen Barriques; Ausbau für 21 Monate in französischen Eichenholzfässern, 78 % davon neues Holz; Verzicht auf Schönung und Filtration.

64% Carmenère, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot; 15,0 % vol;

99 Punkte JAMES SUCKLING: „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.“

- 97 Punkte DECANTER, Georgina Hindle: „A great effort in the hot and dry 2020, COVID-19 vintage with the earliest harvest ever. The grand vin shows power, richness and tons of fruit but retains a sense of charisma and direction that is so compelling. Bright, forward, sleek and silky, tannins enrobe the palate creating a cushion for the ripe blackcurrants and blueberries, bright acidity and underlying spice to meld together. A large percentage of Carmenere at 64% gives the fragrance and backbone while 19% Cabernet Sauvignon adds texture and depth, 13% Merlot bringing freshness and acidity and 2% Petit Verdot adding spice, colour and richness. Only just beginning to really express itself with liquorice, eucalyptus, figs, plums and a salty-wet stone minerality that comes in on the finish. Despite the intensity, this is layered and well sculpted with tons of pleasure to be had with a few more years ageing. Ageing 27 months in 225L French oak barrels, 85% new, 15% two years old. 3.7pH. Winemaker and viticulturist Andrea Leon kept more leaf coverage, a thicker and higher trellis and natural cover crops during the vintage to moderate the high temperatures. Bottles for this, and the second wine, are now made in Chile as of this vintage and have reduced in weight by 10% in a bid to increase sustainability. Clos Apalta now also featuring its name embossed in the glass at the bottom of the bottle.“

- 95 Punkte Robert Parkers WINE ADVOCATE, Luis Gutierrez: „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 élevage 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 élevage 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.“

- 96 Punkte VINOUS, Joaquin Hidalgo: „The 2020 Bland Clos Apalta is 64% Carmenere, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot from Apalta, Colchagua. It was aged for 27 months in 85% new barrels. Rich purple in hue. The clearly defined, ripe, complex nose has a leafy character underlined by fruit such as prune and blueberry jam along with hints of pepper, tobacco and rosemary, all packaged in a cedar cigar box. Creamy and broad in the mouth with god volume. The firm flow is channeled by appreciable structure in which polished tannins set the tone for an expansive, indulgent profile. A genuine Michel Rolland interpretation of a year with a rapid ripening season“