Clearly a blockbuster and a great wine. TBH I expected this to be more balanced now than it was before. Quite the opposite happened in the last 5 years…
Blind this is a California Bordeaux blend… ripe plums, blue and red berries, seamless tannins but noticeable alcohol. The latter is exactly the difference for the 3.5points less.
This is my last bottle but I actually doubt it will get better.
Palate. Cassis, cocoa, anise. It's very, very dense. But elegant and defined. The tannins are refined and fully mature. The acidity is bright and enjoyable.
At 10 years of age, this wine is spectacular. I can't imagine it getting better. I think additional age will show more raisin and prune. Drink up in the next 2-3 years.
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Full body, focused, precise, with blackberry, blueberry and earthy components. Aromas of earth, flowers, and dark fruit. This wine is elegant, polished, and beautiful. A wonderful blend of Carmenere (48), Cabernet (31), and Merlot (21). In its prime at nine years of age, with soft, velvety tannins. A work of art!
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I had the Petit Clos the night before and was anxious to see how this stacked up. Really no comparision. Sure its bigger but just a more complete wine in every way. Bravo!
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Ett mycket välbalanserat vin. silkeslena tanniner. En fin bukett av torkad frukt och blommor. Björnbär, lite mörk choklad och en fin anstrykning av tobak och läder. Jag måste nog lära mig att ha tålamod och vänta ut mina viner lite till tills de kanske är i slutet av sitt dricksfönster för att få den perfekta balansen. Nära perfekt redan nu men tål att vänta ut lite till.
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Dark inky purple in the glass. Intense red currant and black currants with graphite, camphor and licorice. Hints of forest floor and herbs. Despite the intensity did not feel too heavy bodied. High alcohol gave a little heat and with fine tannins a great finish.
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Due to the 100p, i was afraid to be let down. But it overestimated my expectations. Colour: deep ruby On the nose: high intensity, complex, menthol, cassis, parfumed, forrestfruits, tabacco, inky, blue/blackberry’s, sigarbox. On the palate: high intensity, balanced acidity, medium velvet tannins, perfect density, blackberry’s, inky, strong espresso, blackcurrant, green notes. (Incredible balance) Finish: a very long lasting velvet finish, with forrestfruits, earthy notes and great complexity.
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Dark, inky and opaque in the glass. Closed initially, but opened with 6 hours in decanter. Lots of coffee, tar, menthol and tobacco initially, but the fruit took some time to show. Tannins also took some time to soften, which became fine and silky. Full-bodied and complex. Finish was well over 1 minute. I really loved the way this wine evolved and highly recommend!
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Dark, blackberry fruit with intense spice notes, cassis, licorice and chocolate. Silky smooth after a hour decant. Medium weight, ruby color and drinks very well…just not amazing. Maybe I was expecting a little more from this wine.
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1+hr decant. Deep, dark purple color. Complex nose of dark fruit and spices. Absolutely massive wine! Requires small pours and sips. Concentrated dark fruit with slight hints of vanilla and tons of spices and herbs on the palate. Complex but varies between a velvet and spicy texture. Decent finish. Definite aging potential. I enjoyed it but the wife was so so.
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Nose is sophisticated and gentle, just some soft goose berries and ripe blue fruits, leather, graphite and savoury tarragon. The oak is so well integrated into the wine that it is not obvious at all. Palate is so elegant, supremely balanced with just the right amount of concentration. Rich, persistent yet fresh. It’s power is contained in a velvet glove. Hints of dark chocolate and undergrowth in a blue berries compote. Medium bodied with a velvety structure. Transition is so seamless, leading to a ultra fine tannins and good length in the finish. The strength of this wine is its balance, among the best I have tasted. Decant for an hour if you are drinking now. Better to let it continue to develop for the next 3-5 years. This wine will last for 10-15 years thereafter. 95-97 pts.
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2 hour decant on Seabourn Blackberry and spicy green pepper thanks to the carmenere grape A little cocoa toasted oak on the finish . The green element is slightly too predominant for my taste. I prefer the 2013 slightly Still interesting and good.
Pronounced dark berry and floral aromas, bright, youthful and zesty fruit - very dry cedary on the finish. Not really a quaffer. Recommend with a fatty protein.
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Clos Apalta Winery Tour and Tasting (Apalta, Chile): while the barrels of petit come "off the line" after eight months, those destined for this grand vin continue in new wood for another twenty months. the final blend for this iteration is 48% Carmenere, 31% Cab Sauv, and 21% Merlot.
the tasting pour was on the stingy side, but even so i could appreciate the body of the wine in the glass, and it seemed about as dark as the petit wine in the dim light. it took a bit of time for the alcohol (15%) to blow off and the reticent nose to begin to appear, and it did so with the the tell-tale green pepper notes of the Carmenere followed by ripe fruits (figs and berries) and tobacco and toasted wood. it is, as expected, full in the mouth, but very very smooth. the acidity is mellow and the tannins, while strong, are very fine and allow the complex flavours to manifest themselves and follow into a remarkably long finish.
while clearly time will enrich this wine, i find it much more approachable than a Bordeaux of the same age (about three years after bottling) and much more nuanced than the stereotypical Napa Valley big Cab. it is more traditional than modern (compared to say, the wines from Vik) while hewing a line between those styles.
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LOVED it! Fig, blackberry, cassis, and leather aromas. Decanted for three hours. Oak, vanilla and dark fruits on the palate. Very smooth tannins super dry and LONG finish.
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48% Carmenère, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot from Apalta vineyard, Valle de Colchagua with colluvial granitic soils and semi-dry Mediterranean climate under certified organic (CERES) and biodynamic (DEMETER) viticulture of Pre-filoxera (from 1920) ungrafted Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon. Manual harvest and de-stemming. Fermented with native yeast in French oak vats with 5 week marceration. Aged 26 months in 100% new 225L French oak barriques. Unfined unfiltered. 15% Abv. 5199 cases. Proprietors: Cyril de Bournet, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and Charles de Bournet Marnier Lapostolle.
A(ccuracy)=2: Deep purple/ruby. Opulent, oaky Bordeaux blend. B(alance)=2: Exuberance in every element. Heady oak tannin dominant. C(omplexity)=3: Ripe dark berries, bell pepper, eucalyptus, licorice. D(epth)=2: Full, firm mouthfeel, gripping palate and lingering finish.
Wine Tally Score [2,2,3,2] = 9/10
Absolute tour de force needing years to resolve.
For story-telling label graphics, see: [https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/] [https://www.instagram.com/WineTally/]
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Wonderful wine to experience at this young age. More green bell peppers than the 2013, less ready to drink with eucalyptus, black and blue fruits and those green peppers. Drinking wonderfully but don't touch this wine for a few more years. This will be a superstar!
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James Suckling - Great Wines of the Andes (The Presidio, SF): (48% Carmenère, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot) M. Rolland consulting. Intense, precisely-ripe, and detailed blackcurrant fruit on the nose, set nicely in oak spice. Slight pyrazines but very little - very surprising considering the large proportion of Carmenere. Silky tannins. Very slight Malbec-y impression of weedy plum. Dark and glossy.
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3/27/2024 - Simba-wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Clearly a blockbuster and a great wine. TBH I expected this to be more balanced now than it was before. Quite the opposite happened in the last 5 years…
Blind this is a California Bordeaux blend… ripe plums, blue and red berries, seamless tannins but noticeable alcohol. The latter is exactly the difference for the 3.5points less.
This is my last bottle but I actually doubt it will get better.
Drink now - 2033
96p
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1/15/2024 - RichardsEric1 wrote: 96 Points
Costco buy. Definitely one of my favorites of all time. It's full of oomph, character, finesse, and flavor.
Color. Dark saturated red.
Nose. Spices, roast meat, chocolate, licorice, graphite.
Palate. Cassis, cocoa, anise. It's very, very dense. But elegant and defined. The tannins are refined and fully mature. The acidity is bright and enjoyable.
At 10 years of age, this wine is spectacular. I can't imagine it getting better. I think additional age will show more raisin and prune. Drink up in the next 2-3 years.
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10/8/2023 - AmicidellaVite Likes this wine: 98 Points
And a beautiful place right now to enjoy.
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9/4/2023 - Inforred Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is opaque and purple, with well integrated earth/fruit/wood flavors. Complex and nuanced, with round tannins and a long, long finish.
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7/18/2023 - cjoetucker@aol.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
Full body, focused, precise, with blackberry, blueberry and earthy components. Aromas of earth, flowers, and dark fruit. This wine is elegant, polished, and beautiful. A wonderful blend of Carmenere (48), Cabernet (31), and Merlot (21). In its prime at nine years of age, with soft, velvety tannins. A work of art!
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6/13/2023 - ccbradley Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dried cherries, stone and hints of tobacco. Fine tannins and silky smooth.
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6/9/2023 - brianwu0812 wrote: 93 Points
deep ruby, full body, in decanter for 3 hours, black fruit, herb, pepper, elegant tannins,long lasting.
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4/29/2023 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 95 Points
I had the Petit Clos the night before and was anxious to see how this stacked up. Really no comparision. Sure its bigger but just a more complete wine in every way. Bravo!
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2/5/2023 - Hula65 wrote: 99 Points
Ett mycket välbalanserat vin. silkeslena tanniner. En fin bukett av torkad frukt och blommor. Björnbär, lite mörk choklad och en fin anstrykning av tobak och läder. Jag måste nog lära mig att ha tålamod och vänta ut mina viner lite till tills de kanske är i slutet av sitt dricksfönster för att få den perfekta balansen. Nära perfekt redan nu men tål att vänta ut lite till.
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12/26/2022 - Wuhan Joe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark inky purple in the glass. Intense red currant and black currants with graphite, camphor and licorice. Hints of forest floor and herbs. Despite the intensity did not feel too heavy bodied. High alcohol gave a little heat and with fine tannins a great finish.
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4/11/2022 - WorldWinex Likes this wine: 99 Points
Due to the 100p, i was afraid to be let down. But it overestimated my expectations.
Colour: deep ruby
On the nose: high intensity, complex, menthol, cassis, parfumed, forrestfruits, tabacco, inky, blue/blackberry’s, sigarbox.
On the palate: high intensity, balanced acidity, medium velvet tannins, perfect density, blackberry’s, inky, strong espresso, blackcurrant, green notes. (Incredible balance)
Finish: a very long lasting velvet finish, with forrestfruits, earthy notes and great complexity.
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3/16/2022 - aldzl wrote:
아줄이 더 나은듯
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2/2/2022 - Red Covered Bridge Likes this wine:
Very nice. Fun.
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10/28/2021 - BunnyLV Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark, inky and opaque in the glass. Closed initially, but opened with 6 hours in decanter. Lots of coffee, tar, menthol and tobacco initially, but the fruit took some time to show. Tannins also took some time to soften, which became fine and silky. Full-bodied and complex. Finish was well over 1 minute. I really loved the way this wine evolved and highly recommend!
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10/25/2021 - crooksie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better second bottle decanted. Great nose and tannins were smooth with great finish.
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7/24/2021 - mckillop Likes this wine: 93 Points
Restrained nose of menthol. Full, round tannins with plenty of dark fruit and a touch of oak.
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7/22/2021 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark, blackberry fruit with intense spice notes, cassis, licorice and chocolate. Silky smooth after a hour decant. Medium weight, ruby color and drinks very well…just not amazing. Maybe I was expecting a little more from this wine.
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1/9/2021 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 95 Points
1+hr decant. Deep, dark purple color. Complex nose of dark fruit and spices. Absolutely massive wine! Requires small pours and sips. Concentrated dark fruit with slight hints of vanilla and tons of spices and herbs on the palate. Complex but varies between a velvet and spicy texture. Decent finish. Definite aging potential. I enjoyed it but the wife was so so.
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10/3/2020 - Psdycp Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose is sophisticated and gentle, just some soft goose berries and ripe blue fruits, leather, graphite and savoury tarragon. The oak is so well integrated into the wine that it is not obvious at all. Palate is so elegant, supremely balanced with just the right amount of concentration. Rich, persistent yet fresh. It’s power is contained in a velvet glove. Hints of dark chocolate and undergrowth in a blue berries compote. Medium bodied with a velvety structure. Transition is so seamless, leading to a ultra fine tannins and good length in the finish. The strength of this wine is its balance, among the best I have tasted. Decant for an hour if you are drinking now. Better to let it continue to develop for the next 3-5 years. This wine will last for 10-15 years thereafter. 95-97 pts.
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3/29/2020 - crooksie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted an hour. Really smooth Chilean cab but muted quaf and short finish.
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1/16/2020 - michigan dogs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this, best 1st day. Blackberry, fig, mouth puckering dry,
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1/13/2020 - Kevnzworld wrote: 93 Points
2 hour decant on Seabourn
Blackberry and spicy green pepper thanks to the carmenere grape
A little cocoa toasted oak on the finish . The green element is slightly too predominant for my taste.
I prefer the 2013 slightly
Still interesting and good.
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1/12/2020 - Dough Boy wrote: 94 Points
Pronounced dark berry and floral aromas, bright, youthful and zesty fruit - very dry cedary on the finish. Not really a quaffer. Recommend with a fatty protein.
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11/5/2019 - WindFlyer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Clos Apalta Winery Tour and Tasting (Apalta, Chile): while the barrels of petit come "off the line" after eight months, those destined for this grand vin continue in new wood for another twenty months. the final blend for this iteration is 48% Carmenere, 31% Cab Sauv, and 21% Merlot.
the tasting pour was on the stingy side, but even so i could appreciate the body of the wine in the glass, and it seemed about as dark as the petit wine in the dim light. it took a bit of time for the alcohol (15%) to blow off and the reticent nose to begin to appear, and it did so with the the tell-tale green pepper notes of the Carmenere followed by ripe fruits (figs and berries) and tobacco and toasted wood. it is, as expected, full in the mouth, but very very smooth. the acidity is mellow and the tannins, while strong, are very fine and allow the complex flavours to manifest themselves and follow into a remarkably long finish.
while clearly time will enrich this wine, i find it much more approachable than a Bordeaux of the same age (about three years after bottling) and much more nuanced than the stereotypical Napa Valley big Cab. it is more traditional than modern (compared to say, the wines from Vik) while hewing a line between those styles.
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8/18/2019 - scorrea wrote: 88 Points
Very typical chilean bell pepper profile and some lightly sour dark fruit.
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5/2/2019 - GranadaPedroAlarcon Likes this wine: 89 Points
Smooth but did not love it. It has a different taste that might be a taste that i would need to acquire it.
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2/23/2019 - feinwine Likes this wine:
LOVED it! Fig, blackberry, cassis, and leather aromas. Decanted for three hours. Oak, vanilla and dark fruits on the palate. Very smooth tannins super dry and LONG finish.
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12/1/2018 - Wine Buergler Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really good but young - wait until 2020 or so
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11/10/2018 - WineTally Likes this wine:
48% Carmenère, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot
from Apalta vineyard, Valle de Colchagua with colluvial
granitic soils and semi-dry Mediterranean climate under certified organic (CERES) and biodynamic (DEMETER) viticulture of Pre-filoxera (from 1920) ungrafted Carmenère and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Manual harvest and de-stemming.
Fermented with native yeast in French oak vats with 5 week marceration.
Aged 26 months in 100% new 225L French oak barriques.
Unfined unfiltered.
15% Abv. 5199 cases.
Proprietors: Cyril de Bournet, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and Charles de Bournet Marnier Lapostolle.
A(ccuracy)=2: Deep purple/ruby. Opulent, oaky Bordeaux blend.
B(alance)=2: Exuberance in every element. Heady oak tannin dominant.
C(omplexity)=3: Ripe dark berries, bell pepper, eucalyptus, licorice.
D(epth)=2: Full, firm mouthfeel, gripping palate and lingering finish.
Wine Tally Score [2,2,3,2] = 9/10
Absolute tour de force needing years to resolve.
For story-telling label graphics, see:
[https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/]
[https://www.instagram.com/WineTally/]
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2/11/2018 - Alexander Smith Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful wine to experience at this young age. More green bell peppers than the 2013, less ready to drink with eucalyptus, black and blue fruits and those green peppers. Drinking wonderfully but don't touch this wine for a few more years. This will be a superstar!
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2/2/2018 - SlimShaney wrote: 93 Points
Ripe but austere. Bitter chocolate. Acidic fruit. Oxymoronic precision. Tonnes of green tobacco.
Very Boredeaux. Thinking cross between Lafite and HB with a modern infusion. Certainly a well made wine but not a happy wine.
Great ageing potential. But won't make you happy for ages.
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10/1/2017 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 90 Points
James Suckling - Great Wines of the Andes (The Presidio, SF): (48% Carmenère, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot)
M. Rolland consulting.
Intense, precisely-ripe, and detailed blackcurrant fruit on the nose, set nicely in oak spice. Slight pyrazines but very little - very surprising considering the large proportion of Carmenere.
Silky tannins. Very slight Malbec-y impression of weedy plum. Dark and glossy.
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