| Producer | Clos Apalta |
| Country | Chile |
| Region | Colchagua Valley |
| Subregion | Apalta DO |
| Varietal | Carmenère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Sku | U1010405 |
| Size | 750ml |
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A nice touch of baked cherries and dark chocolate to the deep blackberry fruit. Ink and a touch of graphite and dried herbs. Full-bodied and pretty powerful with fine-grained tannins and a long, extensive finish. Give it two more years to let the fruit settle more. Drink or hold. —Z.S. (Reviewed 2/24.)
It features black and red fruit with a distinct floral bouquet, contrasting with the more savory and woody Clos Apalta bottling, and develops additional spice-driven notes after a brief time in the glass. The palate is smooth, creamy, and seductive, culminating in a lush and drying finish framed by fine-grained, extracted tannins and a hint of mineral lift. Within the Clos Apalta range, the Le Petit Clos bottling foregrounds its origins and varietal composition a touch more than the more comparatively lavish grand vin, which, to my palate, makes for a close gap between the two.
Refined and structured, offering plenty of graphite and herbal notes upfront that give way to a dark chocolate–coated blackberry and spiced plum center, with a twinge of cassis underneath. The tannins show some grip, but the finish also gives a sense of freshness as the core flavors linger nicely. Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2036. —A.R.
What We Thought: This classic Bordeaux blend has a robust, full-bodied palate of ripe black cherry and black raspberry fruit along with flavors of dark chocolate and licorice, very soft tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
