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Petit Clos - Second Vin du Clos Apalta 2020 - Vallée de l'Apalta

    Petit Clos - Second Vin du Clos Apalta 2020 - Vallée de l'Apalta

    Monde • Vallée de l'Apalta • Red

    £45.00 tax included
    £45.00 tax included
    £45.00 / unit
    Packaging : 1 x 75CL - Carton

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    Description

    • Country Chile
    • Region Monde
    • Appellation Vallée de l'Apalta
    • Color Red
    • Alcohol 14,5
    • Vintage 2020
    • Grape varieties 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Carmenere, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot 

    THE Little Clos 2020 confirms the stature of this second vin exceptional of the domaine mythical Clos Apalta, run by the Bournet-Lapostolle family in the heart of the Colchagua valley. Produced in the same state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery and benefiting from the historical expertise of Michel Rolland and Jacques Begarie, The Little One Clos offers a more immediate reading experience. fleshy and radiant thanks to the unique microclimate of Apalta.

    The 2020 vintage in Chile was marked by a particularly early growing season, very dry and hot.In this arid context, The topography of Apalta (south/southwest facing under the shade of the hills) and the biodynamic farming practices played a crucial role in thermal buffering. allowing the berries to reach full tannic maturity without tipping into overripe, stewed state.

    Ratings

    Ratings

    • Wine Spectator 93/100
    • Jane Anson 92/100
    Notes and pairings

    Notes and pairings

    Tasting notes

    Dress: Deep, opaque, inky purple with intense garnet and violet reflections. Nose: Powerful, generous and complex. It unfolds aromas of blackberry coulis, wild blueberry, stewed black cherry and damask plum, enhanced by hints of high cocoa dark chocolate, cigar box, blond tobacco, Sichuan pepper and a touch of eucalyptus and graphite. On the palate: The attack is ample, creamy, and velvety. The mid-palate offers a rich, glycerine-like, and profound texture. The tannins, although dense and abundant, are remarkably well-integrated and polished, without any rusticity or dryness. A fine mineral acidity balances the natural alcoholic power of the vintage, leading to a long, warm, and persistent finish of sweet spices and tonka bean.

    Food & wine pairings

    Wood-fire grilled beef ribs, lamb shank confit with spices and rich jus, roast duck breast with black pepper, game with fur (doe, wild boar) in a thickened sauce, or lacquered Iberian pork loin.
    Producer

    Producer

    Appellation: Valle de Apalta (DO), Colchagua Valley, Chile. Terroir: Apalta amphitheater, backed by the coastal range and bordered by the Tinguiririca river. Soils of decomposed granitic sands over a subsoil of deep clays, offering natural drainage while retaining a crucial minimum water reserve during heatwave years like 2020. Vineyard: Ungrafted vines certified in biodynamic (Demeter) and organic farming.

    Owner and history

    The origin of this story dates back to one of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon and Carménère vineyards in Chile, and perhaps even the world. Nestled in the Colchagua Valley, near the city of Santa Cruz, the Apalta Valley was chosen in the 1910s by a visionary who planted this remarkable vineyard there, using a unique French massal selection. In 1994, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband, Cyril de Bournet, acquired the property. True to their family's high standards, they aimed to produce an exceptional wine and pave the way for the qualitative development of the country's great wines. Clos Apalta was born in 1997 as the flagship wine of Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle in Chile, with the aim of showcasing the exceptional terroir of Apalta through French winemaking expertise. By cultivating the vineyard vine by vine and building a state-of-the-art winery based on the principle of gravity, the family has succeeded in making Clos Apalta is one of the most iconic wines of South America.

    Vinification and aging

    Harvest: Hand-picked, at night or at dawn in small crates, followed by meticulous manual destemming berry by berry.
    Fermentation: Gravity-fed fermentation in 75 hL French oak truncated conical vats. Gentle and prolonged maceration of 4 to 5 weeks with indigenous yeasts, limiting violent punch-downs to favour infusion and finesse of tannins in the face of the richness of the vintage.
    Aging: Aged for approximately 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels (approximately 50% new barrels and 50% second-rotation barrels). Bottled without fining or aggressive filtration.

    Lapostolle - Chile

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    The team's opinion

    The 2020 vintage offers a denser, more opulent, and sun-drenched palate, while preserving a texture of rare tactile elegance. Expressive and flattering after proper decanting, it possesses sufficient tannic structure to age gracefully for 8 to 12 years (2026–2038).

    • Climax 2026 à 2038