#6 WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100 OF 2025
When Casa Lapostolle's highly-anticipated 2021 Clos Apalta first arrived, those on our email list got first notice, and it quickly sold out. Now you're first to know that it's back in stock, and hot on the heels of Wine Spectator's announcement that it's #6 on their Top 100 Wines of 2025 list!
Chile continues to make some of the finest red wines in the world today, and the Carmenere-driven Bordeaux blends from the Clos Apalta winery are your proof. Thanks to a Mediterranean climate, the textures are velvet soft and the flavors are packed with expressive, ripe fruits. But the distinguishing features of Clos Apalta are the balancing spicy, herbal accents and vibrant flow that are classic to the Bordeaux varieties. It's a perfect choice if you're looking for greater savoriness and minerality in your seductive luxury red. It doesn't hurt that Clos Apalta still offers and outstanding value for the special wine that it is!
Based on an old vineyard that stretches across a grand amphitheater of Chile's Colchagua Valley, the Clos Apalta winery was founded by Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle (descendant of the creator of Grand Marnier liqueur) in the 1990s. The original vines here are on average 80 years old, so the roots have had plenty of time to dig through the crumbly granitic soils to find their natural supply of water and nutrients. This translates to wines with distinguished complexity, finesse, and balance, cornerstones of the greatest wines in the world. Neither filtered nor fined. Organically farmed.
JAMES SUCKLING 100 POINTS - "Extremely aromatic with red currants, blackcurrants, spices, iodine, paprika and subtle hints of white pepper. Fresh flowers, fresh sage, lavender and some pine needles and sandalwood. Medium-bodied with perfectly integrated tannins that go on for minutes with refined and harmonious fruit that integrates beautifully into the wine, giving it a weightless structure that shows class and verve. Endless balance and length. It’s so balanced that you could drink it now but it will age for decades. A blend of 75% carmenere, 18% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot."
WINE SPECTATOR 96 POINTS - "Aromatically complex and intriguing, this offers a spiced plum pastry note that melds with petrichor, pine, dried violet and cocoa powder elements. The palate is round and richly textured, with Szechuan peppercorn accents to the concentrated black cherry, plum and cassis center. Everything comes together harmoniously on the finish and lingers, with present but integrated tannins. A stunner that should develop nicely in the cellar. Carmenère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2040."
ANTONIO GALLONI; VINOUS 98 POINTS - "The 2021 Clos Apalta comprises 75% Carmenere, 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, boldo and garrigue-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 most impact of different vintages, which is a significant part of the allure of high-quality wines." - Joaquin Hidalgo
Clos Apalta was the first South American wine to be named #1 ON THE WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100
75% Carmenere, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot
When Casa Lapostolle's highly-anticipated 2021 Clos Apalta first arrived, those on our email list got first notice, and it quickly sold out. Now you're first to know that it's back in stock, and hot on the heels of Wine Spectator's announcement that it's #6 on their Top 100 Wines of 2025 list!
Chile continues to make some of the finest red wines in the world today, and the Carmenere-driven Bordeaux blends from the Clos Apalta winery are your proof. Thanks to a Mediterranean climate, the textures are velvet soft and the flavors are packed with expressive, ripe fruits. But the distinguishing features of Clos Apalta are the balancing spicy, herbal accents and vibrant flow that are classic to the Bordeaux varieties. It's a perfect choice if you're looking for greater savoriness and minerality in your seductive luxury red. It doesn't hurt that Clos Apalta still offers and outstanding value for the special wine that it is!
Based on an old vineyard that stretches across a grand amphitheater of Chile's Colchagua Valley, the Clos Apalta winery was founded by Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle (descendant of the creator of Grand Marnier liqueur) in the 1990s. The original vines here are on average 80 years old, so the roots have had plenty of time to dig through the crumbly granitic soils to find their natural supply of water and nutrients. This translates to wines with distinguished complexity, finesse, and balance, cornerstones of the greatest wines in the world. Neither filtered nor fined. Organically farmed.
JAMES SUCKLING 100 POINTS - "Extremely aromatic with red currants, blackcurrants, spices, iodine, paprika and subtle hints of white pepper. Fresh flowers, fresh sage, lavender and some pine needles and sandalwood. Medium-bodied with perfectly integrated tannins that go on for minutes with refined and harmonious fruit that integrates beautifully into the wine, giving it a weightless structure that shows class and verve. Endless balance and length. It’s so balanced that you could drink it now but it will age for decades. A blend of 75% carmenere, 18% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot."
WINE SPECTATOR 96 POINTS - "Aromatically complex and intriguing, this offers a spiced plum pastry note that melds with petrichor, pine, dried violet and cocoa powder elements. The palate is round and richly textured, with Szechuan peppercorn accents to the concentrated black cherry, plum and cassis center. Everything comes together harmoniously on the finish and lingers, with present but integrated tannins. A stunner that should develop nicely in the cellar. Carmenère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2040."
ANTONIO GALLONI; VINOUS 98 POINTS - "The 2021 Clos Apalta comprises 75% Carmenere, 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, boldo and garrigue-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 most impact of different vintages, which is a significant part of the allure of high-quality wines." - Joaquin Hidalgo
Clos Apalta was the first South American wine to be named #1 ON THE WINE SPECTATOR TOP 100
75% Carmenere, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot
