Clos Apalta 2019 is a full-bodied, luxurious wine with expressive dark fruit aromas of plums and figs, complemented by subtle spices and sweet clover. The palate is concentrated, with a lively mid-palate and well-structured tannins, leading to an exceptionally long finish. Produced in a warm vintage, the wine is creamy, velvety, and decadent, showcasing high ripeness and oaky notes. It’s already impressive, and with its long aging potential, it will continue to evolve beautifully. James Suckling | JS 99Published: Dec 28, 2022 A generous array of ripe black and blue fruit with pink peppercorns, green olives, dried flowers, toffee and chocolate orange. It's full-bodied with firm, creamy and velvety tannins. Long and polished. Lovely salted caramel and olives at the end. Keeps going. Unfolds on the finish. 70% carmenere, 18% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon and 4% petit verdot. Drink or hold. The Wine Advocate | RP 95Published: Apr 6, 2023Drink: 2023-2032The 2019 Clos Apalta was produced with a blend of 70% Carmenere, 18% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, 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 ?levage was 24 months in 90% new barrels and 10% second use. It's 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. Closapalta.com 2019 Tasting NotesCOLORIntense dark purple red with violet blue edges. NOSEExpressive nose of ripe fruit plums and dry figs, opening towards subtle spices and elegant aromas of clover and sweet spices. PALATEConcentrated in the beginning opening towards a lively mid palate, with a well constructed tannic frame and avery long lasting palate. Vintage ReportAppellationApalta. BLEND70% Carmenère, 18% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot HARVESTMarch 14th to May 13th. GROWING CONDITIONSThe winter 2018 was dry and cold in Apalta, with accumulated rainfall 40% below the previous season July marked the lowest temperatures of the season, with he average winter minimums temperatures slightly exceeding the historical record. Spring was mild and wet, with rains over 56% the historical average. With this conditions, the vineyard started to grow early and fast, showing good vigor. The summer was hotter compared to our historical records, with the second half of January and the beginning of February, not only a heat wave but also very high levels of sunlight. There was also no rain recorded until the end of the harvest.It is important to highlight the high levels of insolation that affected the Apalta vineyard together with the lack of rains, made it key to manage both irrigation and canopy management that would protect the grapes from the intense sun, avoid sunburn and other issues in the vineyard. The first months of autumn maintained the dry conditions and at the same time, we found a normal average temperature but with lower minima. That brought a wide temperature amplitude that was very beneficial for the color and general quality of red grapes.The harvest begun about 8 days earlier, and the general conditions during the harvest were favorable to have very healthy grapes, with lower yields per hectare.
