Category:
 
Red Wines
Sub-Category:  
 
Red Wines
Producer:
 
Clos Apalta
Label Name:
 
Vintage'vinotheque'
Vintage:
 
2012
Country:
 
Chile
Region:
 
Apalta Valley, Colchagua
Volume:
 
750ml
ABV:
 
15%
Grape(s):
 
Carmenère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Method:
 
Hand-harvested and 100% destemmed; native-yeast fermentation with 4–5 week maceration; 24 months in 225L new French oak; bottled by gravity, not fined or filtered.
Acidity:
 
3
Tannins:
 
4
Sweetness:
 
1
Body:
 
5
Length:
 
5
Aroma Intensity:
 
4
Best Temperature:
 
17
Tasting Note:
 
Inky purple; ripe plum, blackberry and cherry with dried fig, clove, black pepper, cocoa and cedar. Plush, concentrated palate with velvety tannins, espresso and smoky oak, finishing long and ripe.
Food Pairing:
 
Western: grilled lamb/chops, entrecôte/ribeye, game (venison), aged hard cheeses, dark chocolate. Asian: Korean BBQ (galbi/bulgogi), Chinese roast duck/Peking duck, Sichuan beef, Cantonese char siu, umami mushroom hotpots.
Vineyard Info:
 
Clos Apalta (Casa Lapostolle) — biodynamic/organic certified estate in an amphitheatre in Apalta; flagship Carmenère-led Bordeaux-style wine from old vines, prestige producer founded by the Marnier Lapostolle family.
Awards/Ratings:
 
Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) 91; Wine Spectator 93; Wine Enthusiast 94; James Suckling 96 (various sources report 94–96); Wilfred Wong 96