Source: JamesSuckling.com, Issue Date: Monday, August 2, 2021 (JS-98)

So aromatic and fresh with dried flowers, sweet tobacco and hints of straw. Red fruit, cloves and green peppercorns. Medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins that are very fresh and refined. Fine, silky and beautiful. Hints of minerals and granite to the dark fruit. Such gorgeous length and beauty. 64% carmenere, 18% cabernet franc and 18% merlot. Extremely long and poised. Cooler wine. From biodynamically grown grapes. Delicious to drink already, but another three to four years will make it even better.

Source: Issue 256 End of August 2021, The Wine Advocate, The Wine Advocate; Issue Date: 31st Aug 2021, (RP-95)

There is a lot of Carmenere character on the nose of the 2018 Clos Apalta, which was produced with 64% Carmenere, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot, a blend that is similar to the one used in 2016. The wine is not shy at all and hits the scale at 15% alcohol. It’s showy, heady, hedonistic, aromatic, full-bodied and lush with abundant velvety tannins and a long and powerful finish where the notes of black peppercorns and tea and tobacco leaves dominate. This might not be a wine for everybody, but fans of the style will love it. 92,748 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2020.
Drink Date: 2022 – 2030

The only wine in South America to be crowned Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine of the Year, Clos Apalta is the creme de la creme of Chilean wines. The winemaking philosophy behind Clos Apalta is to reflect its terroir by producing a wine based in Carmenere. A truly handcrafted wine, the Lapostolle team meticulously nurtures its vines and attends to every detail and the grapes are 100% hand-harvested and destemmed to preserve the fruit’s potential. Concentrated, complex and age-worthy, the result is a world class blend made in the Bordeaux tradition that continues to be an undisputed Chilean icon. With a healthy, generous production of excellent flavour, moderate alcohol levels and ample freshness, 2018 is the state’s highest rated vintage on Wine Advocate and one of the greatest cold vintages of the 21st century in Chile. With three 100-pointers under its belt in the past decade, the highly coveted Clos Apalta is on a confident ascent to the top echelon of fine wines.

Highlight: Three 100-Pointers in Five Years
James Suckling 100 – 2014, 2015, 2017 vintages
Rating: James Suckling 98, Robert Parker 96
Tasting Note: Deep, inky purple red with dark blue edges. This is an ultra-premium wine with intense notes of spice overlapped with layers of red, black fruit and cedar notes. The wine has a round and fresh mouthfeel with elegant tannins that opens towards a mid-palate with finesse and concentration, along with an exceptionally long finish.