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Review	Product Name	Vintage	Rating	Date Sort ascending	Favorite
Clos Apalta - Vinous	Clos Apalta	2016	93	Mar-2020
Review “A few mature wines still survive from the period that Michel Rolland spent in Chile, including Clos Apalta (a blend of 64% Carménère, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot), demonstrating both the effectiveness and richness of the style. Taking an approach that suits the terroir of Apalta in Colchagua, this garnet-hued red offers ripe aromas of jam, camphor and bay leaf that guide the hints of blackberry and an elegant woodiness that encompasses notes of sandalwood and tobacco. A complex wine that reflects its oxidative aging process; after a while, black olives, musk and hazelnuts appear. It is rich on the palate with fine tannins and slightly intense woody aromas. A long, mature, open and flavorsome finish.”
Clos Apalta - TEXSOM International Wine Awards	Clos Apalta	2016	Silver	Mar-2020
Review
Clos Apalta - Tim Atkin, MW	Le Petit Clos de Clos Apalta	2016	92	Mar-2020
Review “‘A very Bordelais vintage’ is how Andrea León describes 2016, but this second wine is still at the riper end of the Chilean spectrum, with 14.7% alcohol, ripe fig and blackcurrant flavours, stylish oak and a full-bodied finish.”
Clos Apalta - Tim Atkin, MW	Clos Apalta	2016	95	Mar-2020
Review “This old-vine cuvée of mostly Carmenère with 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot helped to make the name of the Apalta Valley. Produced from hillside vines and picked before the rain in 2016, this is racier, fresher and better balanced than some recent vintages, with floral aromas, plum and blackberry fruit, some green herb undertones and serious, layered tannins.” (Wine of the Year)
Clos Apalta - Wine Advocate	Clos Apalta	2016	96	Feb-2020
Review “The 2016 Clos Apalta is a blend of 64% Carménère (higher than in 2015), 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot hitting the scale at 15% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The Carménère and Cabernet were planted ungrafted in 1920, and all the vineyards are organic and biodynamic (certified) and very low yielding. The hand-destemmed grapes fermented in oak vats and barriques (17%), and the wine went through malolactic and 26 months of aging in brand new French barriques. I’ve seen a great improvement in Carménère in Chile in the last few years, perhaps since they stopped wanting to grow it everywhere and focused on the places where it grows well, like the Apalta region. They have also learned to tame the green aromas, fierce tannins and alcohol and to produce much more harmonious reds, like this aromatic example that reveals spice, tobacco leaves, red fruit and floral notes without noticeable alcohol or excess ripeness. The oak is surprisingly well integrated for such a young wine, and there is harmony, concentration and balance to make it age in bottle for a long time. The palate is full-bodied, and the tannins are fine-grained and in balance with the rest of the components, coming through as a compact and powerful yet elegant red. This has to be one of the finest Clos Apaltas of all time.”
Clos Apalta - Wine Advocate	Le Petit Clos de Clos Apalta	2016	93+	Feb-2020
Review “The ‘second wine’ here, the 2016 Le Petit Clos is a very different blend from the 2015; it is now mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with just 4% Merlot and 1% Carménère, while last year it was almost half Carménère. The vineyards are now certified in organic and biodynamic agriculture. The bunches were hand-destemmed, and the grapes fermented in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and a six-week maceration. Malolactic was in barrique, and the élevage happened as follows: the wine spent seven months in new French barriques, and then 71% of the volume was transferred to French oak barriques (22% new and 49% second year,) while the rest of the wine was put in oak vats. The élevage was 23 months in total. With the change in varieties, this feels very different from the Clos Apalta – more Cabernet here and more Carménère there. The nose is elegant and nuanced, with herbs, spices and a core of ripe red and black fruit, quite varietal and with integrated oak. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with round tannins and vibrant acidity, making it long and supple. I think it’s a step up over the 2015.”
Clos Apalta - Wine Spectator Insider	Clos Apalta	2016	94	Feb-2020
Review “Refined, with savory richness to the mineral-infused raspberry, red currant and herbal shadings. Creamy hints emerge midpalate, leading to a crisp, well-structured finish that lingers with slate and cast iron notes.”
Clos Apalta - Decanter	Clos Apalta	2016		Dec-2019
Review “The Clos Apalta vineyard is certified organic/biodynamic and the vines dating back to 1920 on original rootstocks are low-yielding, with the new parcels higher up benefiting from the afternoon shade. A blend of 64% Carmenère, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot, the nose is fragrant and spicy, the fruit deep with natural vineyard grip, a very exciting wine for the next decade or more.”
Clos Apalta - Jamessuckling.com	Clos Apalta	2016	99	Dec-2019
Review “This is really focused and refined with fantastic dried flowers and dark berries. Dried-lavender and mint undertones. Medium-to-full-bodied with refined and polished tannins that are all together and so focused. Really integrated and melted together on the palate. Compact and very linear. Please give this two or three years to come completely together, but it’s already breathtaking.” (#5)
Clos Apalta - Jamessuckling.com	Le Petit Clos de Clos Apalta	2016	96	Dec-2019
Review “A juicy and delicious second wine from Clos Apalta. Beautiful, ripe and delicious with dark berries and mushrooms. Full-bodied and very balanced with complex walnut, spice and berry character. Dark chocolate and hazelnuts at the finish.” (#26)

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