Winemakers Notes
For this 20th vintage produced, Clos Apalta releases in a very special anniversary bottle. You will find below some more explanations from the owner, Charles de Bournet.
TASTING NOTE
Clos Apalta 2017 remains inherently true to its origins. Deep garnet in appearance, the wine reflects the intense colour of carmenere grapes and typical aromas of ripe fruits. On the bouquet, an abundance of aromas, including redcurrant, raspberry and wild strawberries, reflects the stunning complexity of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and carmenere. On the palate, the initial wave of berry fruits, underpinned by soft, silky tannins, is pursued by contrasting touches of black olive, blackcurrant and liquorice. Incredibly long and taut on the finish, revealing exquisite, delicate tannins, and expressing the great elegance of the Apalta terroirs.
BLEND & AGEING
The wines were aged for 27 months in barriques, of which 85% new oak, allowing the wines to stabilise and clarify naturally.
The blend, made up of 48% carmenere, 26% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 1% petit verdot, imparts unique complexity to Clos Apalta.
"It is an emotional celebration. 20 years already. 20 years of incredible adventure. 20 years of dedication and tenacity. And in honour of this important milestone, the 2017 vintage release is a special commemorative edition delicately screen-printed in gold, set against a graduated blue adorning the entire bottle. This is an entirely new coating technique and an industry first.
20 stars featuring on the bottle not only symbolise the passage of time, but also the Milky Way, which can be observed all the way from Clos Apalta, in arguably one of the clearest skies in the world. The intricate detail continues with the two-tone, royal blue and navy blue capsule, recalling the Azulillo flower, a small blue crocus emblematic of the Valley, its long frail stem topped with a mass of blue stars, each bearing three dark blue stripes. In the same way, the gift box is lined
with blue tissue paper of the same distinctive shade. The iconic winery, equipped with technical facilities of the greatest precision and an architectural masterpiece, naturally takes pride of place, its 24 wooden beams clearly visible, reaching elliptically towards the sky and symbolising 24 months of winemaking channelled into the creation of Clos Apalta.
20 years of labour of love, undertaken by a family unified through the past and their boundless belief in the future. And it is also a time of reflection and renewed commitment. The history of Clos Apalta is still being written. For in this industry, the short and the longterm merge into one. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to my parents, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and Cyril de Bournet, and express my gratitude and also my steadfast commitment to continue the work they commenced by elevating Clos Apalta to even greater heights. With its sturdy foundations, Clos Apalta is a living legacy, which is constantly evolving, resolutely focused on the future.
For two decades, our teams in Chile and France have worked in unison to understand the exact requirements and potential challenges regarding Clos Apalta. The progress we have made in both the vineyard and winery has only served to improve our performance over the years. 20 years of tireless hard work has been rewarded with premium quality wines. Concentrated, complex and
age-worthy, Clos Apalta has garnered a world class reputation and indisputably earned its place among the true greats.
Today, Clos Apalta is an icon among Chilean wines, and living proof of the huge popularity and enthusiastic comments in the wine press. This meteoric progress affirms the ascent of Chilean wines to rank among the greatest wines of worldwide renown. But this is no time for complacency: exceptional vineyards constantly reinvent always fixated on the same goal of excellence.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for making this adventure possible."
Charles-Henri de Bournet
