Clos Apalta 2019 – 6 Bottles

TASTING NOTE BY MSQ

【智利四大天王之一  Clos Apalta 】

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 用最土生土長嘅智利原生提子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/被虫咬過嘅都唔要！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

The 2019 Clos Apalta was produced with a blend of 70% Carmenere, 18% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, which is extremely high in Carmenere and low in Cabernet Sauvignon, in a ripe and warm year. It fermented with indigenous yeasts for four to five weeks, with manual punch down of the cap, 67% in 7,500-liter French oak vats and 33% in new French oak barrels, followed by malolactic in new French oak barrels. The élevage was 24 months in 90% new barrels and 10% second-use. The wine is powerful, big and ripe, with 15% alcohol and a pH of 3.57. It’s creamy and juicy, with very high ripeness and a notable absence of herbal notes; it’s oaky, smoky and decadent, coming through as luxurious, round, lush and velvety. It’s full-bodied and has abundant, small and powdery tannins. 103,944 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2021.

RATING BY WINE CRITICS

95 Points by Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Adovocate, 2023