This was the first 100-point wine from here with such aromas of fresh herbs and dark berry and floral undertones. Hot stone character. Full body, very linear and ultra-fine tannins. The precision and perfection here is impressive, as it has always been. A blend of carmenere, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Drink or hold.

A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Petit Verdot. It took just a few harvests before the Marnier Lapostolle family realised the potential of the Apalta terroir after founding its Colchagua winery in 1994. An excellent 1997 vintage led to a special bottling, and Clos Apalta was born. The grapes are sourced from two blocks of old Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon planted in 1920 and 1940, along with Merlot planted on hillside vineyards from 1997. In 2005 Clos Apalta was given its own gravity-flow winery, with hand-destemming and fermentation in small French oak vats. In 2008, the Apalta vineyard was certified organic and in 2011 biodynamic. ‘The philosophy is simple,’ says Charles de Bournet Marnier-Lapostolle: ‘to make world-class wines using our French know-how of generations in wine and spirit production, together with the unique Chilean terroir.’ With cedar and liquorice spicy aromas, this supple-textured, richly concentrated red is fleshed out by powerful, cassis opulence framed by a reprise of polished French oak and supported by a muscular structure. Drinking Window 2018 - 2027.

If you want to find the pinnacle of Chilean red blends, start here. A concentrated nose with cassis and chocolate-cake aromas is a fine opening. A ripe, saturated palate tasting of blackberry and chocolate balances weight and finesse, with the chocolate element carrying over to a smooth finish. Drink through 2025.

Refined and rich, featuring a concentrated array of dark fruit, savory herb and Asian spice flavors that are well-structured. Dark chocolate accents linger on the creamy and seductively savory finish, with hints of hot stone. Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Drink now through 2024. 5,199 cases made. — KM

A library release from the estate at its 10 year window. The 100% new oak remains present and smoky even at the decade mark (today they have brought that down to around 75% new) but it softens to show beautiful creamy damson fruit with pencil lead and liqourice, plenty of density through the mid palate to keep momentum, and this easily has another decade ahead of it . A relatievely cool vintage but there is still a flash of heat on finish. The label says 'Vinothèque, this bottle was released from the cellar of Clos Apalta in 2022'. 100% new oak ageing, unfiltered and unfined.

The 2014 Clos Apalta is composed of 48% Carmenère, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot and has lots of tannins and some astringency. It really suffers when compared with the 2015, which feels longer and has a different quality of tannins, but I prefer both to the 2013. This matured in 100% new French oak barrels for 26 months. - Luis Gutiérrez