Kurt Schuster

9.2

Deep, Rich, and elegant. The wine actually feels more viscous than normal, and it’s just heavily perfumed and flavored and thick in your mouth. It absolutely feels like chewing on a handful of fresh blue and red fruit mixed together. Perfume of violet and Queen Anne roses, as it faded over time it actually became a much more elegant and approachable wine. Absolutely delicious.  — 2 years ago

with Denise

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

Nice Chilean Cab. Blue/Black berry/currant aromas and flavors with nice hints of spices and mint. Tannins are present, but there is good balance. Austere and fresh tasting. Pleasant surprise. Thank You Ron B. — 5 years ago

Brett Rogosin

9.0

Smells of ripe blue and blackberry, black pepper, fresh leather, sweet flowers. Very pretty. The tannin is fading, but holding on. Acidity rushes down the side and front of the tongue. The mouth feel is thick and fruit forward, but not over extracted in any way, with blue and blackberry to mirror the nose. The method of production using weight to crush the grapes really comes through with softer tannin and less extraction, yet still fruit forward and rose bud and leather finish. Just yum. — 6 years ago

Brett Rogosin

9.0

Thick and starting to deepen in color. Nose has menthol and dark brooding berries. This is day 2 open and the menthol is really taking trip on the nose. More than I remember on day 1. The tannins are silky and acidity still present, but fading. Green menthol and dark berries, blue and black, pine needles too and a bit of forest floor. Tasty. — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.6

When it’s chilly outside you need a beastly Chile to slap your hide 😈 A Suckling 💯 pointer limited release @ £76 now circ £100 since 100 score, that’s superb now but has massive potential 👍

📍 Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2014

🏵 96 points w/ more to come 😉

🍇 48% Carmenère, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon & 21% Merlot

💥 15% ABV 👀

🍷 Deep opaque ruby w/ purple hue

👃 Thick gloopy cocoa butter through blackcurrant/berry fruits w/ creamed blueberry, raspberry liquorice, light soggy earth, flick of oak, farmyard puff, herbs, rock minerals & figgy fudge

👄 Full bodied creamy silky polished rich blackcurrant, blueberry & dark plum bathed in melted cocoa w/ a dash of red cherry & raspberry coulis in mineral stone

🎯 Long creamy dark & blue fruit chocky red liquorice purple mouth staining seduction taking no prisoners 😍😈 — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This is the 2015. Bressia makes about 500,000 bottles a year. In Argentina and in Chile, that makes you a small producer. Just proves once again that everything’s relative.

On the nose; dark cherries, cherries, cooked strawberries, some light herbal notes, dark soils with small stones and fresh dark & red florals.

On the palate; bright, almost candied dark cherries, cherries, strawberries, blue hues, vanilla, some light herbal notes, big & very dark grippy minerals, dark soils with small stones and fresh dark, red & blue florals.

Photos of; the Bressia entrance and tasting room. Their small barrel room, which is almost completely used oak — 8 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

Dark ruby color. Aromas of blue and black fruit, forest floor and leather. Ripe black cherry and dark plum in the palate with additional hints of dark chocolate, roasted poblano pepper, dried herbs, tobacco and baking spices. Touch of minerality on the long and lingering finish. Full bodied, bold and chewy. Thanks for opening, Ron B! — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Impenetrable in colour - incredibly dark. Noticeably oaky as an initial impression, dusty amongst the red and blue berries but generally contained to begin with. The palate is full bodied with that oak influence - very polished. 46% Carmenere, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon,, 19% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. If tasted blind I would swear this was Cabernet Sauvignon dominant but when you realise that Carmenere has its origins in Bordeaux it makes sense. With more time in the decanter more cassis and blackberry coming through on that rich full bodied and brooding palate. Tannins resolving. Oak not as dominant as initially. James Suckling gave this 100 points and stated that this was South America’s greatest red wine, which is a big call. Interestingly Clos Apalta is owned and the wine is made by the French. Had my last bottle 117 weeks later on 26 July 2024 with similar notes. Red and black berry fruits on nose. Also earth, cinnamon and tobacco leaf. Interesting history of the grape Carmenere which is Bordeaux in origin and has thrived in Chile. — 4 years ago

Paul J

9.4

1 hour plus decant. Dark red color with a hint of brown edges. Nose has blue and black fruit with Shiraz characteristics. Wine is deep but fairly one dimensional with dark cherry fruit. Medium finish. Awesome texture and very pleasant. Surprised to see afterwards that it was 14.5% alcohol, as it didn’t seem it. Overall my expectations were slightly exceeded. — 6 years ago

with Brooke

Andrew Lohse

8.9

Rich, voluptuous blue and some black fruit / stemmy green notes and some tobacco / technically exemplary wine but—at this price point? 😐 — 7 years ago

Menno van Zaanen

9.4

Blue berries, full bodied, light after taste. Peppery smell. — 8 years ago

Joe Davant

9.4

This wine was such a pleasant surprise - we won it at a holiday party raffle, so we had no idea what to expect. We were all blown away by layers of deep, rich blue fruits combined with chocolate, leather, a touch of graphite and a hint of oak. Despite the rich fruits, it managed to deliver bright acidity and complexity that paired well with a rib eye. I'll definitely seek out more of this wine. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

This Carmenere comes from 15 year old Estate vines and made in cement & stainless tanks.

On the nose; slight pyrazine notes, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, blue fruit hues, dry stones & dark moist soils, red roses & florals.

On the palate, lean, ripe fruits; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries & blue fruit hues. Big round but gentle tannins. Gritty minerals, black cherry licorice/cola, soft leather, dry stems, slight herbaceous notes, red roses, red flowers & violets, nice acidity and a lovely, ripe, round finish.

Photos of; the stoney soil this Carmenere was grown and property landscaping. — 8 years ago

Brian S

9.4

Extremely solid wine, could have sat in bottle many more years. No one guessed it was Chilean and by far the best Cabernet from Chile I have ever had. Big blue and red fruits, cigar wrapper, graphite, yum yum 😋 — 4 years ago

with Ellie

Frank Kuo

9.0

Color of pity, a bit berry and blue tone on the rim. Nose of ripe blackberry, raspberry, cherry jam, spice, carbonate, and medicinal strawberry. Nose is on par. Taste follows the nose with addition of ample acidity, a bit citrus zesty, and some bitterness. Aftertaste of some more oaky flavors. On par. — 4 years ago

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.1

So balanced. So pleasurable and drinkable. You will drink the whole bottle without even blinking (or thinking) Deep ruby color, pronounced aromas of blue and black fruit (blueberries, grapes, black cherries and cassis) herbal (mint, sage) and balsamic (eucalyptus) hints of oak (coffee and dark cocoa). Medium(+) body, medium acidity, medium ripe tannins and medium(+) finish. #carmenère #carmenere #chile #chileanwine — 6 years ago

Brett Rogosin

9.2

Tons of sediment, so give this a decant. It was open right away and very tasty, but better on day 3. Inky with lots of dark blue fruit. Some seasoned oak on the nose. Still good tannic structure, but not grippy in any way. The acidity is still there, but toned down. Dark blue fruit transfers to the palate. Wish I had more. — 6 years ago

Hum

9.0

Bright, green but refreshing, underbites of blue fruits. Tasty — 7 years ago

Steven Lee

9.8

Bachelor night oct 2018. Top chilean wine winning in berlin tasting. Nose intriging. Charcoal, tea, mulberry and unique sweet sour smell that maybe chilean wine charactor. Tobacco then spicy green chewing gum, almost eculytus complex nose. Dark rose. Palate - sour bitter initial hit. Woody, tar, black n blue fruit. Quite smooth but still plenty of tannin that is abit harsh and tangy. Rather bitter like chinese med. The striking sweet bitter sense i need to drink more chilean to know if their terrior character. Getting more complex with more decanting. Getting more floral (similar to my home gardenia sticks), spicy and green...a very unique wine that i am not sure i like, very different. From this wine i understand more what floral means. Best chilean wine for me so far — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

On the nose; ripe, ruby, dark currants. Blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, plum and blue fruit hues. Sweet dark, rich soil and tarry notes, black licorice, some pepper, light herbaceous notes, spice and dark fresh lavender and violets.

The body is medium full. The tannins are firm, sticky and a touch meaty. Dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, dark cherries with strawberries haunting in and out on the palate. Dark rich soils, sweet tarry notes, black licorice, medium dark spice, cinnamon, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, soft leather, touch of herbaceousiness, tobacco leaf, crushed dry rocks, loamy dry soils, dark fresh red florals with violets. Round beautiful acidity and a rich, elegant, polished finish.

Photos of; a beautiful shot of the coastal range, road sign with the latitude location of their vina, my wife’s Hollywood pose after she has done two Viña tastings and the sheep animals in their lobby. — 8 years ago