Clos Apalta 2018 – 6 Bottles

TASTING NOTE BY MSQ

【智利四大天王之一  Clos Apalta 2018】

近年智利酒開始越戰越勇，經常入選百大葡萄酒，而當中有四個酒莊成績特別出眾，被大家稱為智利四大天王 – 當中包括Almaviva, Montes Alpha M, Sena 以及今日為大家介紹嘅Clos Apalta。

Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 屬於Lapostolle家族，原本係法國生產著名嘅香橙利口酒－Grand Marnier。之後Marnier Lapostolle  嘅繼承人於1994 年成立咗葡萄酒莊，更釀造出多款出色葡萄酒。酒莊雖然身在智利，但做出非新世界嘅style，唔會太偏重木桶味，更講求細緻同平衡感。

Clos Apalta 用智利最土生土長嘅提子Carmenere，保留最地道原貌。酒莊更得天獨厚，位於南部山谷，提子得到日照嘅時間比一般酒莊長; Enough sun = Good grapes, Good grapes = Good wine!

要造出靚酒，提子當然最重要，Clos Apalta對靚提子要求超高，每粒人手採摘返黎嘅提子再由人手逐粒揀，唔靚/唔夠熟/被蟲咬過嘅都唔要！提子產自近100 歲高齡嘅提子藤，而種植過程採用生物動力法，即係可持續發展嘅概念，唔會破壞大自然。

TASTING NOTE BY WINE CRITICS

There is a lot of Carmenere character on the nose of the 2018 Clos Apalta, which was produced with 64% Carmenere, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot, a blend that is similar to the one used in 2016. The wine is not shy at all and hits the scale at 15% alcohol. It’s showy, heady, hedonistic, aromatic, full-bodied and lush with abundant velvety tannins and a long and powerful finish where the notes of black peppercorns and tea and tobacco leaves dominate. This might not be a wine for everybody, but fans of the style will love it. 92,748 bottles produced. It was bottled in October 2020.

RATING BY WINE CRITICS

96 Points by Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Adovocate, 2021