Lapostolle 2020 Clos Apalta Red Wine, Santa Cruz, Chile

A world class Blend in the Bordeaux tradition. The Earth offers is up and we respect the gift.
At Clos Apalta, we select harvest dates based on the grape ripeness of each plot and its exposure. Regular tasting is carried out to monitor the development of the fruit, skins and tannins. We therefore began harvesting the first Merlot in La Campana on 10th March and finished on 7th April. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested between 18th March and 11th April. Once again, this wide range of harvest dates stems from the fact that we have plantations in the mountain foothills and old pre-phylloxera ‘dry farmed’ Cabernet vines in other terroirs. For Carmenère, our harvests began on the Colibri plot on 12th April. Mid-April rains prompted us to push hard and bring in all the remaining grapes over the following week. Low yields, green pruning such as leaf and crop thinning, and biodynamic practices enabled us to harvest grapes at perfect levels of ripeness and in a perfect state of health.
Our winemaking philosophy is to reflect the terroir from Apalta by crafting a wine based in Carmenère. We hand harvest the fruit in small cases of 14 kilos. The grapes are 100% hand de- stemmed in our Clos Apalta Winery so we maintain complete control of the quality. 95% of grapes were fermented in our French oak vats while 5% was fermented In new French oak barrels.

64% Carménère, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. The Merlot offers up black fruit aromas such as black cherry and blackberry, all with wonderful freshness on the palate. The Cabernet Sauvignon, in particular from old pre-phylloxera vines, offers up aromas of red fruit (raspberry) and black fruit (blackcurrant, blueberry) with some ripe bell pepper and black olive notes. As it matures it develops pepper, crème de cassis, leather and charred notes (smoke, toast and chocolate). The Carmenère, brightly coloured with hints of purple, is rich with rounded tannins. There are delicate cherry aromas on the nose, subtly balanced out by spicy touches of black pepper. Freshness on the palate ensures a beautiful finish of black fruit, smoke, cocoa, leather and tobacco notes