B-21 Top Recommendation
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“So balanced that you could drink it now but it will age for decades”
James Suckling
Reflecting a record of astounding consistency including garnering the coveted #1 spot on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100, the powerful 100 pt. 2021 Clos Apalta reveals gorgeous aromatics of rich, dark concentrated fruit with impressive depth and flawless balance on a lingering, silky finish, a pinnacle of Chilean wine making standing shoulder to shoulder with the world’s greatest red wines and an outstanding value for collectors of age worthy red wines.
Perched on a steep hillside northeast of Santa Cruz, the stunning architecture of the Clos Apalta winery is marked by massive slats of Chile’s native red-toned rauli wood resembling barrel staves stretching over two stories high, its gravity-fed winery below comprised of seven underground floors descending over 100 feet into solid granite. Arriving in the Colchagua Valley in 1994, French Grand Marnier heiress Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet hired renowned French oenologist Michel Rolland to lead the construction of their Bordeaux-style estate, restoring its century old vineyards of Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon and tapping their son Charles-Henri de Bournet to take over as CEO in 2013. Boasting a distinct micro-climate that creates optimal conditions for ripening while maintaining the grapes’ freshness and acidity, the estate’s 53-hectare horseshoe shaped vineyard is located at the entrance of the Apalta Valley, its oldest vines from stocks imported from France dating back to 1907 and enjoying the natural protection of the Tinguiririca River and the Andes foothills from extreme heat. Blending 75% Carmenere, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, winemaker Andrea Leon aged the refined 2021 Clos Apalta for 21 months in 78% new French oak and the remainder in second use barrels before bottling without filtering or fining, yielding a rich, harmonious blend of “exceptionally good quality” according to Inside Bordeaux’s Jane Anson with “a weightless structure that shows class and verve” according to James Suckling.
Described by Joaquin Hidalgo of Vinous as “one of those rare Chilean wines that reliably showcases the characteristics of each vintage while maintaining a consistent house style,” the elegant 100 pt. 2021 Clos Apalta boasts a fresh, vineyard expressive character from a cooler growing season crafted in the estate’s powerful signature style, a delicious Bordeaux-inspired blend reflecting its exceptional Chilean terroir that promises savvy collectors over two decades of pleasurable drinking. | 
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