Chile quietly continues to make some of the top red wines of the 'New World.' The textures are velvet soft, the flavors are full of expressive, ripe fruits, but the signature qualities of the varieties shine through. These distinctive herbal and spice accents are counterpoints to the fleshy richness that comes so easily, especially given the Mediterranean climate of the most important vineyard areas. The wineries of Casa Lapostolle make some of Chile's best, particularly from their flagship vineyard, the organically farmed Clos Apalta, which has a dedicated winery.
The Marnier-Lapostolle family, descendants of the creator of Grand Marnier liqueur, created the Casa Lapostolle winery in 1994 to make world-class, modernly-styled wines. With internationally famous winemaking consultant Michelle Roland there with his decades of experience, they found an ideal vineyard in a natural amphitheater that they could expand upon: Clos Apalta. The old, ungrafted part of the vineyard has an average age of 80 years; these older vines have had time to find deep natural water reserves, and are widely believed to produce wines of greater complexity and finesse.
While the Apalta vineyard is planted with Bordeaux varieties, the top wine of the Clos Apalta vineyard is driven by old-vine Carmenere, lesser-grown in Bordeaux but excelling in Chile with its suave textures and appetizing peppery herbal accents. Aged two years in new French oak, contributing to a creamier texture and coffee/cocoa/caramelized aromas. Neither filtered nor fined.
JAMES SUCKLING 99 POINTS - "A generous array of ripe black and blue fruit with pink peppercorns, green olives, dried flowers, toffee and chocolate orange. It’s full-bodied with firm, creamy and velvety tannins. Long and polished. Lovely salted caramel and olives at the end. Keeps going. Unfolds on the finish. 70% carmenere, 18% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot. Drink or hold."
ONE OF THE MOST AWARDED WINES IN THE WORLD
• Five times in the Wine Spectator Top 100, three times in the Top 3
• Clos Apalta is the one and only South American wine which has been #1 of the Wine Spectator Top 100
• Since the creation of the Top 100 only two wines of the Southern hemisphere have been #1: Clos Apalta 2005 and Penfolds Grange 1995.
The Marnier-Lapostolle family, descendants of the creator of Grand Marnier liqueur, created the Casa Lapostolle winery in 1994 to make world-class, modernly-styled wines. With internationally famous winemaking consultant Michelle Roland there with his decades of experience, they found an ideal vineyard in a natural amphitheater that they could expand upon: Clos Apalta. The old, ungrafted part of the vineyard has an average age of 80 years; these older vines have had time to find deep natural water reserves, and are widely believed to produce wines of greater complexity and finesse.
While the Apalta vineyard is planted with Bordeaux varieties, the top wine of the Clos Apalta vineyard is driven by old-vine Carmenere, lesser-grown in Bordeaux but excelling in Chile with its suave textures and appetizing peppery herbal accents. Aged two years in new French oak, contributing to a creamier texture and coffee/cocoa/caramelized aromas. Neither filtered nor fined.
JAMES SUCKLING 99 POINTS - "A generous array of ripe black and blue fruit with pink peppercorns, green olives, dried flowers, toffee and chocolate orange. It’s full-bodied with firm, creamy and velvety tannins. Long and polished. Lovely salted caramel and olives at the end. Keeps going. Unfolds on the finish. 70% carmenere, 18% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot. Drink or hold."
ONE OF THE MOST AWARDED WINES IN THE WORLD
• Five times in the Wine Spectator Top 100, three times in the Top 3
• Clos Apalta is the one and only South American wine which has been #1 of the Wine Spectator Top 100
• Since the creation of the Top 100 only two wines of the Southern hemisphere have been #1: Clos Apalta 2005 and Penfolds Grange 1995.
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