Clos Apalta Limited Release Carménère Blend

Still holding strong and firm after 22 years. Bordeaux blend, heavy on carmenere with merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Gorgeous primary and secondary flavors are supple, deep, shows very strong. Pair this beast with something mouthwatering.

Brought to Tasting Group and presented double-blind. The 2012 Clos Apalta pours a deep ruby with an opaque core; high viscosity. There also seems to be quite a bit of fine sediment. On the nose, medium+ intensity displaying an opulent mix of ripe and wizened fruits: black berries, raspberries, and blueberries with cola, espresso, freshly tilled earth and just a kiss of green bell pepper. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the black fruits with red bramble and cherry fruit along with purple flowers and baking spices. Alcohol is medium+. Long, long finish. The wine was universally fawned over with guesses ranging from left bank classified growth to California Zinfandel to Australian Shiraz. Nobody called Carménère, let alone Chile. Blend: 66% Carménère, 19% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

My last ‘10, wow how nicely this aged. One of Chile's finest premier wines. Dark deep Ruby, a blend of 71% Carmenère, 18% Cab Sauv and 11% Merlot, aged in 100% new French oak for 24 months. Aromas of ripe red fruit with sweet spice and earthy herbs. On the palate flavors of ripe plum, raspberry and black cherry and notes of figs, mushroom, vanilla and cacao. Complex structure, round velvet tannins, good balance, long finish ending with some herb, leather and espresso notes. Outstanding.

A Southern 🌍🌏🌎 Hemisphere wine theme for a small dinner with a dear friend. Some older bottles from our cellar and some younger bottles from another cellar. Paired this evening with Asian-style braised beef short ribs (Kinderhook Farm; Valatie, NY) and grilled polenta.

Notes possibly...Scores honestly.

Found an ‘10 in a wine shop and grabbed it! One of Chile's finest premier wines. Dark Ruby with deep purple edges, a blend of 71% Carmenère, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot, aged in 100% new French oak for 24 months. Aromas of ripe red fruit with sweet spice, the palate has flavors of plum, raspberry and cherry and notes of figs, vanilla and cacao. Complex structure with round velvet tannins, good balance, long finish ending with some pepper, leather and espresso notes. Outstanding.

A few mature wines still survive from the period that Michel Rolland spent in Chile, including Clos Apalta (a blend of 64% Carménère, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot), demonstrating both the effectiveness and richness of the style. Taking an approach that suits the terroir of Apalta in Colchagua, this garnet-hued red offers ripe aromas of jam, camphor and bay leaf that guide the hints of blackberry and an elegant woodiness that encompasses notes of sandalwood and tobacco. A complex wine that reflects its oxidative aging process; after a while, black olives, musk and hazelnuts appear. It is rich on the palate with fine tannins and slightly intense woody notes. A long, mature, open and flavorsome finish. (Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous, March 2020)

Deep ruby / purple. Black fruits and cassis with nice tannic grip. Nice medium-long finish.

I opened expecting this to be pop and pour...I was wrong. By the end of the night, this needed 1-2 hours in the decanter to blossom. Clove, dark red and black fruit dominant, and sweet cherry pipe tobacco were the main notes I got from the aromatics. Still a bit gripping, powerful, and chalky on the palate. Herbal/leather driven balanced out by more dark fruit...plum, blackberries and just a touch of graphite. Lengthy and delicious finish. This can hold in this window a few more years easily.

Hands down the best Chilean wine I've ever had. Fantastic. Could have been aged another 10 years. Surprisingly fresh red cherries on the nose, plenty of stinging acidity in the back corners of my mouth on the first sip. Tannins have started to recede a bit, and there's a hint of sediment starting to form. Great body, velvety.

Checking in of this bottle...
Carmenere/Cabernet/Merlot tannins are vanished, but the wine still needs more time to integrate, medium amount of sediment when decanting, will go another 5-8 years without concern.