What a find; what a bargain. Perfectly balanced and ready to drink. Lovely black current and smooth tannins. Could easily have gone another three years. Hate to have finished the last bottle!
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Dark purple colour. and a little alcoholic. Restrained red and dark fruit, graphite, high-class dark chocolate, dark cocoa, coffee, spices, vanilla, light mint, and herbaceous notes. Tightly wound, even on day two. The high alcohol is lightly warming (15% ABV). Full-bodied, with great concentration, and there also is plenty of ripe tannin, and good acidity. The wine is defined by its ripeness, generous fruit and creamy oak. But big picture, the wine feels designed and artificial, and lacks character.
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Pure silk. Black fruit, earth, wild herbs and a touch of sweet oak. Aging beautifully with silky tanin and mouth watering acidity. Still has 5 years or more in it's prime.
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Intense and complex, gives layers of aromas in pepper spice, thyme, dark blackberries and cherries. It has velvety and well defined tannins. All these great flavors sits on your tongue and lingers.
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It's still very much in the zone. Ripe, and rich with elegant cassis, fresh soil, and red and purple flowers. Med/med+ persistence, with lots of warm layers. A few really good years remain. recommended
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Decanted for an hour before pouring. Deep ruby red with no hints of discoloration. Terrific nose consisting of blueberries, pencil shavings, black peppercorns, toast and mint. Harmonized tannins and acidity. Layers of black peppercorns, dried figs, mint, cocoa, cassis and black licorice. A wonderful long finish that left me wishing we had one more bottle in the cellar.
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Wonderful wine with terrific mouthfeel and balance. Layers of cocoa, licorice, fruit compote, mint, toast and blueberries. The acidity is just high enough to support a complex structure and nice long finish.
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Needs to be decant for at least 2-3 hours ,the wine starts to open after the first hour.dark color with strong nose full of spices aromas and leather.in the mouth it is not so balanced with still a lot of tannins.hold and start drinking in 3-5 years.
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Lovely. Dark and brooding but also balanced and harmonious. Notes of saddle leather, tobacco and smoke. Expansive on the palate with a velvety texture and a long finish. Seems to be at peak. Wish I had more.
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Big flavors of black raspberry, black cherry, and blueberry, with leather, licorice spice, and tar. Still quite youngish, and perhaps drinking at peak now, but this will probably drink well for 5 to 10 more years.
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Decanted this wine for an hour before we poured it. Very soft but structured tannins. Subtle layers of black cherries, pencil lead, licorice, tar and pepper. Terrific wine.
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Decanted for 2+ hrs, on the nose immediately expensive oak and luscious fruit. Solid tannin structure that will keep the wine 7-8y for sure. It is now yet in the fruity stage and is a bit too 'in your face' for me. Drank next to 2005 and this was not much behind, just less finesse and more raw power, will get back here after min. 5y.
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Not much to add from March note; outstanding. Like a great Napa cab but with a touch of green pepper this time, last time I said menthol, but it works somehow. Just a slightly different savory note to add to the fruit.
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Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" 2016-?; South America (@ RvD): In the bouquet dark berries and cherries, vanilla and sweet spices. On the palate vanilla, ripe dark fruits, sweet licorice, some chocolate, cinnamon, good acidity and round tannin with still a firm bite. Great concentration and length. Waiting until 2020 will not be any problem, on the contrary; the wine might improve and show more finesse. 91 - 92
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This wine has completed its evolution into a terrific experience. Not 100% sure it is through improving, but it is wonderful if you let it open up for an hour or two. Big and rich with dark fruits and a nice subtle oakiness but maybe a touch of menthol differentiating it from a high end Napa Cab. I don't have much Carmenere experience but I wish I had more than one of these left.
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This wine drank exceptionally well and is an excellent value when compared to CA bordeaux style blends. What I liked also is that the wine didn't have that big, characteristic CA Cab fruit bomb characteristic. Rather, it was well balanced and there were nice elements of forest floor and herbs de province. Clearly, the standard dark berry markers were there but nicely balanced with earth, minerals and oak. Solid finish with good length.
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Wonderful. Went by too fast. Complex blend of fruit, prominent oak, and forest floor and eucalyptus notes all buoyed by excellent structure. Years left to finish the rest of these.
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A Weeknight at JulieD's (San Diego): Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes before tasting. Clear dark inky garnet. Seems closed, tight, young. Outstanding profile of leafy blackberry bush, forest floor, blackcurrant liqueur, mocha. Full body, excellent structure and balance. Likely to improve with further age and also needs a longer decant. Group's THIRD PLACE tonight.
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I remember previous vintages being being dense, bold, fruity, and complex. This bottle is all of those things sans the fruitiness. I get plenty of complexity with pencil lead, tobacco, cedar. More old world than new world.
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Dark garnet. Ripe nose with blackcurrant, cocoa, ripe fig, anise, fennel, tobacco leaf and loamy scents. Full-bodied, warm (15% alc.), firm tannins, rich fruit, high acidity, long aftertaste. The nose is riper than the palate. Improved after several hours of decanting. Like a cross between a high end chilean red (which it is) and a top CdP if you ignore the acidity.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Nose of black currant, pencil lead, pepper, tobacco. The fruit seemed to take a back seat to the pencil lead component. Just lacking some energy at this stage that would've make it a great wine.
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Really a tasty and spicy beauty. Decanted and drank after a 45 minute rest. (There are some solids in this wine so decant carefully.) good depth and a fine and somewhat long finish.
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2nd Gastronomy Fair 2014; 3/30/2014-3/31/2014 (Intercontinental Hotel): Clear med ruby color. The nose is med/med+ intensity, rich red fruit character, sweet spices, black currant and berries, clove, oaky layers, jammy fruit but fresh all together, toasted hints, youthful. The wine is dry, med+ body and intensity, med alcohol and med+ acidity, med+ tannins but round, juicy, plums and black currant & cherries, clove and cinnamon, balanced, med+ finish with alcohol burn and mocca/chocolate notes. Outstanding as always quality, premium price, drinking now but can hold. Bottle slightly underperforming but still a great wine
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Already at a very nice stage to enjoy. Very dark ruby-garnet. Expressive and complex nose of cumin, corriander, cassis, damp earth, anise, fennel, esspresso and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied with velvety tannins, rich fruit and balancing acidity. Long aftertaste.
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Good balance tannins in check and fruit still very much present with tame alcohol . Very pleasant be new world can carmenere blend. A perennial favorite
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Dense, dark, rich blend: 61% Carmenere, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Not quite a Bordeaux blend, and not quite a Rhone blend. Interesting. Opened an hour early but not decanted. Very dark purple in the glass; restrained bouquet. Soft tannins. A little spicy. Paired well with rack of lamb. Drinking well now.
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Big improvement from 3 years ago, starting to show its stuff. Full bodied with dark fruits and some leather on midpalate. Still needs a good decant; I poured into glass and allowed bottle and glass to sit 3 hours and needed it. Should be long lasting.
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We really liked this wine. It's drinking beautifully right now. We decanted it, poured, and let it rest for a few minutes. The wine has a lovely rich deep purple color. It tastes of dark fruits and berries with a hint of spice in the background. The tannins seemed very fine grained and additive to the enjoyment of the wine. One measure of our delight was that the decanter was empty before we knew what had happened.
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This is a blend of Carmenere, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Clear thick deep ruby color. The nose is clean, with medium+ intensity, offering black currants, black cherries, plum jam, sweet oak, liquorice, capsicum hints. Youthful
The wine is dry, medium+ body and intensity, high alcohol (15%), meidum+ acidity, tannins high and full but well made, a small alcohol burn there, basket full of black currants, cherries, plums, with nutmeg and clove sprinkled on top, oaky notes in the medium+ finish.
Outstanding wine as always, ultra premium price, drink now (well decanted) and could age.
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Jag öppnade flaskan två och en halv timme i förväg. Mörk, blåröd färg. Djup, rund och fyllig doft av söt frukt. Fyllig, ung smak av mörka bär (plommon och svarta vinbär) lite tobak och ceder. Mycket len och rund smak i fantastisk balans med stödjande syra och mjuka tanniner. Att det ändå inte får högre betyg beror på att jag saknade lite bett, lite mer strävhet. Hursomhelst, ett fantastiskt vin som vi drack till älgfilé, ugnsrostade rotsaker, rödvinssås och palsternackspuré.
Andra flaskan 160305 Sömlös, sammetsmjuk, fyllig och fruktig med nyanser av ceder och undervegetation. Mycket runda, mjuka tanniner och utmärkt balans. 92-93 p. Till lammfärsbullar med rotsakspytt och rostad vitlökscreme.
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Decanted and started sampling. Seemed disjointed and closed much of the time. Not much of a nose. This is a cab. On a very different scale than California cabs. It's more French than North American. The next day this wine was much more open and offered up really nice red fruits and and a nice spicy nose.
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More tannic than I remembered on the previous bottle. Still outstanding and will stand more years in the cellar without a problem. If anything even better than the first bottle.
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Admittedly I have always loved Clos Apalta -- the 07 vintage brings all that Clos Apalta gives with none of the drawbacks sometimes seen in SA wines (such as overly vegetal or sour). I saw that WS loved the 2007 Chilean reds, awarding a 92 rating for the vintage. This wine is even better with the Carmenere adding a floral aromatic to a fruit driven nose of plum, currant, and ripe blackberry with leather, tobacco and a menthol note on the long finish. Refined and drinking well at this early stage, but should improve.
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(Lets get the blend straight, 61% Carmenere, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot.) also noted 100% hand destemmed. great from the cork pull. Day 3 and very full aromas. ripe and present blackberry. tobacco. palate has medium tannin and good acid, and very smooth and full palate. very approachable.
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Decanted for roughly 2.5 hours. This is a dark, intensely concentrated purple wine. On the nose, there is mint, tobacco, and plum sauce, with a hint of alcohol emerging on the background. In the mouth, the wine conveys smooth red fruits, with fully integrated and tamed tannins. There is a sense of refinement to this wine. The finish carries the red fruit through for 30-45 seconds. Overall, this is a ripe but not overblown wine, which brings a very enjoyable experience. Nevertheless, I have the sense that the wine aspires for something more; perhaps it will get there, perhaps not. 92 points.
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Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Vanilla, plum and cassis flavors. Fruity, velvety, a long finish. My last Clos Apalta was the wonderful 2005, so I was specting a little bit more.
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Very cabernet on the nose. (despite the blend only consisting of only 19% Cab, the rest being 78% Carmenere, and 3% Petit Verdot) Black currant and some herbs. The palate is a little bit sour with chewy tannins. The bitterness/sourness stays during the evening, and probably comes from too much new wood being used? Still, a decent new world wine, but way to expensive compared to what you get.
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Restaurant purchase, first time ever having Clos Apalta. It definitely lives up to its reputation. Inky purple, thick, full bodied. Highly complex with a very aromatic and perfumed nose. New World style with an Old World flare; great balance of primary fruit, tertiary flavors, tannins, and acidity. Lots going on with many different flavors: black spicy currant, blackberries, cherries, anise, tobacco and dark expresso. The Camenere in the blend really gives this wine a unique character. Great finish. Enjoyed at a birthday celebration with chargrilled steaks.
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Terrific Cabernet dominated fruit and spice bouquet. Complex on the palate with green pepper Carmenere blending with dark flesh and berry fruit as well as mineral notes. Polished, elegant tannins. Medium-long finish. Young; excellent to drink now with decant or hold. Buy more.
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A blend of 61% Carmenere, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. A very intensely colored wine with a dark central core with a bright ruby red rim, also exhibiting a nice glossy surface foreshadowing its viscous texture. The nose is quite polished and gentile showing strong aromas of raspberry liqueur, cherries, blackberries, roasted coffee beans, small dollops of milk chocolate, vanilla, floral aromas, new leather, graphite, and a touch of spices on the end. On the palate the fruit comes across very pure, with intense raspberries and maraschino cherries on the attack, bitter coffee with dark chocolate mixed together with blackberry liqueur on the mid-palate and continuing on to the finish with a dab of creamy vanilla. A very soft delicate textured wine with a muscled structure; a dash of acidity with massive grainy almost green tannins with high amounts of alcohol that burn on the after taste. This definitely show's its French pedigree, almost Right Bank Bordeaux with that New World purity in fruit and high alcohol. Just a tad bit uncontrolled and out of harmony with the massive alcohol and tannic presence.
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Nose of lemon and thyme with a bit of a yeast smell. The taste was initially of blackberry, followed by licorice. Very nice sense of balance and pleasure from this wine, though not a strongly memorable or unusual flavor profile.
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I purchased the bottle for Thanksgiving based on my previous understandings of this bottling and the current CT notes on it. I decanted 2 hours prior to dinner with a small taste on opening. My initial taste yielded no fruit, little tannin, and a nice mouth feel. After 2 hours my initial taste still holding and the wine doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. This wine was then consumed over the next 4 days to see if it would improve and it did not. It never showed fruit, or enough of anything for me to be able to give it any score above below average. This wine was a complete disappointment.
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Clear dark ruby in colour. Clean med+ nose of black fruit, black current, and some spice. Dry, med acidity, big tannins, full bodied, black current, blackberries, spice, and cedar on palate. long finish. Popped and poured, so this may not have been the best example of wine.
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erg dik en iets over de top, veel alcohol wat duidelijk waarneembaar is. zeker nog veel te jong gedronken, heeft wellicht de tijd nodig om wat tot rust en evenwicht te komen, geen koop
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Beautiful color, long and arid finish. Agree this is a young wine which requires massive aeration. If drank with meat/cheese, the tannins are reasonably neutralized, but even decanted, without food the finish will suck your eyebrows into your skull. Terrific flavor, but hoping this mellows with time.
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The quality shows right off the bat, with gorgeous ruby-purple colr int the glass, bright red currant fruit, delicate herbs, berries, and a little coffee on the nose. Shows very little oak. Nicely textured palate of black currant and red berries, with a firm structure and good finish. This comes off more as right bank Bordeaux than Chile, because it lacks the signature loamy earth notes I love in Chilean wines. That's not unusual, the Clos Apalta is usually the most refined, international style of the country's top wines. But '05 had that earthy Chilean terrior in in spades, which made it great, in my opinion.
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Tasted at the winery. Deep purple color. Big nose of blackberry or black currant, with a hint of chocolate. Black fruit on the palate. Already smooth on the palate, but enough tannins to keep developing. Finish goes on and on and on. Very drinkable.
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Opened after skiing in late afternoon with limited food around, was very tannic and I think not properly opened up despite some effort to speed up aeration. Was a little better when I warmed up leftover bacon to have something rich to have with it! Saving my other 4 for awhile because it wasn't showing as much as expected but seems to have good potential. First bottle was a little better from memory in restaurant with beef.
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Opened w 90 minutes air in bottle. Rich purple, slightly lighter on the edge. Nose still a little tight but showing red cherry, plum and vanilla. Still some youthful tannins flexing in the glass but not overpowering an almost silky mouthful of plum, raspberry, olives and vanilla. This wine can benefit from another 2+ years in the bottle as it is still too young, even with an extended decant.
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Lots of tulsi (Basil) on the initial nose. the wine is certainly not in its peak and will hold for quite a bit. well done LVMH, its one of the only chilean wines I am proud to have in my cellars
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Compared to the 2005, this is way too one dimensional!!!Way tool young. Deep garnet color, almost inky. The Oak monster is here and lots of candied dried fruit on the nose. Plum and dark chocolate fill the mouth. The tannins are quite drying. Finish is really long but the aftretaste is like cough syrup!!! It should hopefully improve with a few years but nowhere near the 2005!!!
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Plenty of tannins. Medium density. On the palette the wine is showing quite a bit of olives. At the moment, it is almost unfair to rate as the wine is quite disjoint.
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LVMH at Binny's (Binny's Lincoln Park, Chicago IL): nose: tight, but pungent with very good depth and tones of spices, anise, loam, some bits of asphalt, black currants, dark red cherries and dark red fruits. On the riper side but the asphalt tones aren't too pronounced
taste: very silky and elegant with some very chewy tannins. Backed up by plush tones of spices, anise, black currants, dark red cherries and dark red fruits
overall: definitely in need of some age, but a real elegant wine in the making. The polish is there right now and it just needs to let everything show through. Not as ripe on the palate and a bit more dialed back as well
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Moet Hennessey Winemaker Grand Tour @ Binny's (Lincoln Park Binny's): Didn't think this wine was as good as all the hype behind it. Still a tight young wine which may improve over the next few years. Mouthfeel was smooth and silky I got lots of dark red fruits and vanilla.
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Curiosity killed the cat and opened this bottle to get a sneak preview of the 2005. Still young. Dark. Deep garnet color, almost black. Oak and dried fruit on the nose. Prune, some cacao and anis while swirling on the mouth. Tanins make themselves very evident! And what a finish! Still present while I am typing this e-mail! Still a bit acid, but should settle down with a few years. Drink 2013.
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Had a Chile tasting night and enjoyed a broad range of wines; the headliner with the Clos Apalta. I opened at 3pm and served at 8pm. It was very tight when I opened it but evolved nicely. Still very young but great potential. Extremely dark with black and blue fruit flavors. A hint of graphite and beautiful mouthfeel. I will open another in about 5 years. Tannins still have a grip though.
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Ultimate Parker in Singapore Mega-Tasting (The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore): Extremely young, but I thought this was very good - lots of quality here. Nose was very nice - sweet ripe cherries and raspberries were bolstered by savoury earth notes and seasoned with some nicely integrated vanilla oak tones. Palate was still tightly-wound together, with really firm tannins showing, but was really pleasant for all that. Good crunchy fruit, with a panapoly of dark cherries, some cassis and sweet blueberries, seasoned with spicy Camanere notes. Really nice balance here, especially obvious in the way the wine shaped up into a longish finish that was at once fresh and grippy, with mouthcoating tannins forming a backdrop to more spice notes and a final kiss of vanilla. Needs time to come together and unfold, but I think this will be a really nice wine down the road. Plenty of interest factor and complexity hidden in there somewhere. 10 years would be good, but I think this will go on even longer. Head and shoulders above the rather boring Don Melchor tasted alongside.
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Tasted at Total Wine in Tustin, CA with winemaker Andrea Leon. Vertical with the 06 and 07. The 07 is closed up tight right now but you can tell it's a big boy. Big tannic structure but not bitter. Coats the palate. Taste of dark fruit, with mocha, pencil lead and spice. Will be awesome in a few years.
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Had at a Casa Lapostolle event. Forgot to ask how long they'd had it open - double decanted I suspect. We were told 48/18/18/6% Carmenere/Merlot/Cab/Petit Verdot (although that differs from the sales sheet on the web I see.) Ungrafted vines for the Carmenere and Cab.
Dense, luminous garnet. Nose and flavors of black currant, mulberry, black pepper, nut hulls, pencil lead, dusting of herbs. Young, of course, but absolutely sensational nevertheless right now. Elegant, velvety, long finish. I couldn't sit still with this. An electric beauty.
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Opened at a restaurant and decanted for less than an hour; still tight but the potential was there; powerful but the tannins have a grip right now; nevertheless the potential is serious. Black fruit and an beautiful opaque color. Hiints of oak, but in its proper perspective. I would wait for 3-5 years and try another. Or leave open for several hours
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5/1/2023 - kboly wrote: 93 Points
What a find; what a bargain. Perfectly balanced and ready to drink. Lovely black current and smooth tannins. Could easily have gone another three years. Hate to have finished the last bottle!
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2/26/2022 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 96 Points
My WOTN over a few other professional 100 pointers. I loved the black pepper flavors.
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1/29/2022 - ppandian wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyed the last bottle! Great body, fine tannins, dark red fruits with a long finish
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1/15/2022 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple colour. and a little alcoholic. Restrained red and dark fruit, graphite, high-class dark chocolate, dark cocoa, coffee, spices, vanilla, light mint, and herbaceous notes. Tightly wound, even on day two. The high alcohol is lightly warming (15% ABV). Full-bodied, with great concentration, and there also is plenty of ripe tannin, and good acidity. The wine is defined by its ripeness, generous fruit and creamy oak. But big picture, the wine feels designed and artificial, and lacks character.
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10/3/2021 - korkd wrote: 95 Points
Wow
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9/13/2021 - ppandian wrote: 91 Points
Nice depth, balance and structure.
A spiciness on the palate, ripe red fruits on the nose with well integrated and smooth tannins.
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7/6/2021 - ppandian wrote: 90 Points
Good structure, rounded tannins and cherry.
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5/10/2021 - llsawyer665 wrote: 92 Points
Powerful
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2/7/2021 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 93 Points
plenty of fig paste and plum notes with leather and cigar box notes.
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8/22/2020 - SICILIAN-SOLE Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pure silk. Black fruit, earth, wild herbs and a touch of sweet oak. Aging beautifully with silky tanin and mouth watering acidity. Still has 5 years or more in it's prime.
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7/9/2020 - Buonvino3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Intense and complex, gives layers of aromas in pepper spice, thyme, dark blackberries and cherries. It has velvety and well defined tannins. All these great flavors sits on your tongue and lingers.
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5/27/2020 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
It's still very much in the zone. Ripe, and rich with elegant cassis, fresh soil, and red and purple flowers. Med/med+ persistence, with lots of warm layers. A few really good years remain. recommended
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3/26/2020 - Snag One Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour before pouring. Deep ruby red with no hints of discoloration. Terrific nose consisting of blueberries, pencil shavings, black peppercorns, toast and mint. Harmonized tannins and acidity. Layers of black peppercorns, dried figs, mint, cocoa, cassis and black licorice. A wonderful long finish that left me wishing we had one more bottle in the cellar.
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12/10/2019 - Snag One wrote: 94 Points
My earlier notes still apply to this wine. Really a terrific bottle of wine.
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12/5/2019 - Snag One Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful wine with terrific mouthfeel and balance. Layers of cocoa, licorice, fruit compote, mint, toast and blueberries. The acidity is just high enough to support a complex structure and nice long finish.
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10/3/2019 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Again, outstanding.
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1/19/2019 - Binkey wrote: 89 Points
Needs to be decant for at least 2-3 hours ,the wine starts to open after the first hour.dark color with strong nose full of spices aromas and leather.in the mouth it is not so balanced with still a lot of tannins.hold and start drinking in 3-5 years.
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8/8/2018 - fjv3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still quite good, but window is closing.
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7/17/2018 - adipovino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely. Dark and brooding but also balanced and harmonious. Notes of saddle leather, tobacco and smoke. Expansive on the palate with a velvety texture and a long finish. Seems to be at peak. Wish I had more.
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6/1/2018 - Racer117 wrote: 92 Points
Lots of dark juicy fruit along with leather and spices. Full bodied but elegant.
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5/12/2017 - pgm wrote: 93 Points
Big flavors of black raspberry, black cherry, and blueberry, with leather, licorice spice, and tar. Still quite youngish, and perhaps drinking at peak now, but this will probably drink well for 5 to 10 more years.
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4/29/2017 - Snag One Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted this wine for an hour before we poured it. Very soft but structured tannins. Subtle layers of black cherries, pencil lead, licorice, tar and pepper. Terrific wine.
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12/30/2016 - Acohen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great blend with classic blue fruits, cocoa and nice rich finish
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12/17/2016 - Lyubomir Lefterov wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2+ hrs, on the nose immediately expensive oak and luscious fruit. Solid tannin structure that will keep the wine 7-8y for sure. It is now yet in the fruity stage and is a bit too 'in your face' for me. Drank next to 2005 and this was not much behind, just less finesse and more raw power, will get back here after min. 5y.
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7/28/2016 - Kyle_Stewart wrote: 92 Points
Delicious bottle. Seemed better than the first. Can't wait to get more of this, looking for the <$65 price point $2007
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7/13/2016 - ddingley Likes this wine: 94 Points
Not much to add from March note; outstanding. Like a great Napa cab but with a touch of green pepper this time, last time I said menthol, but it works somehow. Just a slightly different savory note to add to the fruit.
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4/21/2016 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" 2016-?; South America (@ RvD): In the bouquet dark berries and cherries, vanilla and sweet spices. On the palate vanilla, ripe dark fruits, sweet licorice, some chocolate, cinnamon, good acidity and round tannin with still a firm bite. Great concentration and length. Waiting until 2020 will not be any problem, on the contrary; the wine might improve and show more finesse. 91 - 92
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3/14/2016 - ddingley Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine has completed its evolution into a terrific experience. Not 100% sure it is through improving, but it is wonderful if you let it open up for an hour or two. Big and rich with dark fruits and a nice subtle oakiness but maybe a touch of menthol differentiating it from a high end Napa Cab. I don't have much Carmenere experience but I wish I had more than one of these left.
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3/10/2016 - Kyle_Stewart wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1.5 hrs. The wine kept getting better and better through the night. Pretty big and complex, great flavors, nice long finish
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1/11/2016 - RobSpectator Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine drank exceptionally well and is an excellent value when compared to CA bordeaux style blends. What I liked also is that the wine didn't have that big, characteristic CA Cab fruit bomb characteristic. Rather, it was well balanced and there were nice elements of forest floor and herbs de province. Clearly, the standard dark berry markers were there but nicely balanced with earth, minerals and oak. Solid finish with good length.
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11/29/2015 - SeattlePaul Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful. Went by too fast. Complex blend of fruit, prominent oak, and forest floor and eucalyptus notes all buoyed by excellent structure. Years left to finish the rest of these.
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3/24/2015 - Javachip wrote: 92 Points
A Weeknight at JulieD's (San Diego): Allowed to breathe in glass 30 minutes before tasting. Clear dark inky garnet. Seems closed, tight, young. Outstanding profile of leafy blackberry bush, forest floor, blackcurrant liqueur, mocha. Full body, excellent structure and balance. Likely to improve with further age and also needs a longer decant. Group's THIRD PLACE tonight.
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3/24/2015 - Racer117 wrote: 91 Points
I remember previous vintages being being dense, bold, fruity, and complex. This bottle is all of those things sans the fruitiness. I get plenty of complexity with pencil lead, tobacco, cedar. More old world than new world.
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2/1/2015 - Snag One Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful wine. Not as great as the 2005, but still very good.
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11/22/2014 - ELH wrote: 93 Points
An edgy blend.
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10/26/2014 - Yiannis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark garnet. Ripe nose with blackcurrant, cocoa, ripe fig, anise, fennel, tobacco leaf and loamy scents. Full-bodied, warm (15% alc.), firm tannins, rich fruit, high acidity, long aftertaste. The nose is riper than the palate. Improved after several hours of decanting. Like a cross between a high end chilean red (which it is) and a top CdP if you ignore the acidity.
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9/26/2014 - pa81 Likes this wine:
Very good ripe dark fruit/red fruit. Dense opulence.
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8/16/2014 - scotty_b wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Nose of black currant, pencil lead, pepper, tobacco. The fruit seemed to take a back seat to the pencil lead component. Just lacking some energy at this stage that would've make it a great wine.
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5/11/2014 - Trolson wrote: 96 Points
I loved this wine: the taste reminds you so much of the Chilean soil. Very distinctive. Find a bottle if you can.
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4/19/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really a tasty and spicy beauty. Decanted and drank after a 45 minute rest. (There are some solids in this wine so decant carefully.) good depth and a fine and somewhat long finish.
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3/30/2014 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 90 Points
2nd Gastronomy Fair 2014; 3/30/2014-3/31/2014 (Intercontinental Hotel): Clear med ruby color.
The nose is med/med+ intensity, rich red fruit character, sweet spices, black currant and berries, clove, oaky layers, jammy fruit but fresh all together, toasted hints, youthful.
The wine is dry, med+ body and intensity, med alcohol and med+ acidity, med+ tannins but round, juicy, plums and black currant & cherries, clove and cinnamon, balanced, med+ finish with alcohol burn and mocca/chocolate notes.
Outstanding as always quality, premium price, drinking now but can hold. Bottle slightly underperforming but still a great wine
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3/30/2014 - Yiannis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Already at a very nice stage to enjoy. Very dark ruby-garnet. Expressive and complex nose of cumin, corriander, cassis, damp earth, anise, fennel, esspresso and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied with velvety tannins, rich fruit and balancing acidity. Long aftertaste.
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3/21/2014 - kennyg wrote: 94 Points
Good balance tannins in check and fruit still very much present with tame alcohol . Very pleasant be new world can carmenere blend. A perennial favorite
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2/28/2014 - ELH wrote: 94 Points
Dense, dark, rich blend: 61% Carmenere, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Not quite a Bordeaux blend, and not quite a Rhone blend. Interesting. Opened an hour early but not decanted. Very dark purple in the glass; restrained bouquet. Soft tannins. A little spicy. Paired well with rack of lamb. Drinking well now.
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2/28/2014 - ddingley Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big improvement from 3 years ago, starting to show its stuff. Full bodied with dark fruits and some leather on midpalate. Still needs a good decant; I poured into glass and allowed bottle and glass to sit 3 hours and needed it. Should be long lasting.
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1/13/2014 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Exceptional wine. Shared it with the group at Cellar 59 Wine Bar and it was a hit with everyone - best of the night's 40 bottles. Wish I had more.
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10/26/2013 - ELH wrote: 93 Points
Dense and rich.
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10/17/2013 - Trolson wrote: 97 Points
Lovely. Earthy. South American soil, that taste. And, ages gracefully.
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10/1/2013 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
We really liked this wine. It's drinking beautifully right now. We decanted it, poured, and let it rest for a few minutes. The wine has a lovely rich deep purple color. It tastes of dark fruits and berries with a hint of spice in the background. The tannins seemed very fine grained and additive to the enjoyment of the wine. One measure of our delight was that the decanter was empty before we knew what had happened.
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9/19/2013 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 94 Points
(Genius in Gastronomy tasting room)
This is a blend of Carmenere, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Clear thick deep ruby color. The nose is clean, with medium+ intensity, offering black currants, black cherries, plum jam, sweet oak, liquorice, capsicum hints. Youthful
The wine is dry, medium+ body and intensity, high alcohol (15%), meidum+ acidity, tannins high and full but well made, a small alcohol burn there, basket full of black currants, cherries, plums, with nutmeg and clove sprinkled on top, oaky notes in the medium+ finish.
Outstanding wine as always, ultra premium price, drink now (well decanted) and could age.
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8/11/2013 - Conde Likes this wine: 93 Points
Jag öppnade flaskan två och en halv timme i förväg. Mörk, blåröd färg. Djup, rund och fyllig doft av söt frukt. Fyllig, ung smak av mörka bär (plommon och svarta vinbär) lite tobak och ceder. Mycket len och rund smak i fantastisk balans med stödjande syra och mjuka tanniner. Att det ändå inte får högre betyg beror på att jag saknade lite bett, lite mer strävhet. Hursomhelst, ett fantastiskt vin som vi drack till älgfilé, ugnsrostade rotsaker, rödvinssås och palsternackspuré.
Andra flaskan 160305
Sömlös, sammetsmjuk, fyllig och fruktig med nyanser av ceder och undervegetation. Mycket runda, mjuka tanniner och utmärkt balans.
92-93 p.
Till lammfärsbullar med rotsakspytt och rostad vitlökscreme.
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6/20/2013 - Trolson wrote: 93 Points
May be showing age: not much nose and lacked body.
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5/27/2013 - Niagara wrote: 85 Points
Age has not improved this. It is fading fast.
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3/28/2013 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted and started sampling. Seemed disjointed and closed much of the time. Not much of a nose. This is a cab. On a very different scale than California cabs. It's more French than North American. The next day this wine was much more open and offered up really nice red fruits and and a nice spicy nose.
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3/26/2013 - Cimon wrote:
Excellent
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3/21/2013 - Trolson wrote: 96 Points
So good!! If you like the big musty Italian nose, you will like this. What a treat.
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3/20/2013 - pdemaio wrote: 92 Points
Big fruit. Solid acid. Rich. A lovely bottle with no shortage of personality.
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3/18/2013 - rexmerlot Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great wine. Similiar to prior note. Definitely benefited from decanting. Got better as the night went on.
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2/23/2013 - nogohawk wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding !
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2/6/2013 - tb_baltimore Likes this wine: 93 Points
More tannic than I remembered on the previous bottle. Still outstanding and will stand more years in the cellar without a problem. If anything even better than the first bottle.
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1/31/2013 - Bobo N wrote: 93 Points
Admittedly I have always loved Clos Apalta -- the 07 vintage brings all that Clos Apalta gives with none of the drawbacks sometimes seen in SA wines (such as overly vegetal or sour). I saw that WS loved the 2007 Chilean reds, awarding a 92 rating for the vintage. This wine is even better with the Carmenere adding a floral aromatic to a fruit driven nose of plum, currant, and ripe blackberry with leather, tobacco and a menthol note on the long finish. Refined and drinking well at this early stage, but should improve.
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1/1/2013 - nzinkgraf wrote:
(Lets get the blend straight, 61% Carmenere, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot.) also noted 100% hand destemmed.
great from the cork pull.
Day 3 and very full aromas. ripe and present blackberry. tobacco. palate has medium tannin and good acid, and very smooth and full palate. very approachable.
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12/16/2012 - whitmanlholt wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for roughly 2.5 hours. This is a dark, intensely concentrated purple wine. On the nose, there is mint, tobacco, and plum sauce, with a hint of alcohol emerging on the background. In the mouth, the wine conveys smooth red fruits, with fully integrated and tamed tannins. There is a sense of refinement to this wine. The finish carries the red fruit through for 30-45 seconds. Overall, this is a ripe but not overblown wine, which brings a very enjoyable experience. Nevertheless, I have the sense that the wine aspires for something more; perhaps it will get there, perhaps not. 92 points.
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11/26/2012 - Jayarr wrote: 88 Points
Nice dark color but a bit of a sour taste and seemed a little hot. Considering the reviews and the price, I was expecting more.
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11/3/2012 - MarcoAzevedo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Vanilla, plum and cassis flavors. Fruity, velvety, a long finish. My last Clos Apalta was the wonderful 2005, so I was specting a little bit more.
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9/27/2012 - Ramberg wrote: 84 Points
Very cabernet on the nose. (despite the blend only consisting of only 19% Cab, the rest being 78% Carmenere, and 3% Petit Verdot)
Black currant and some herbs.
The palate is a little bit sour with chewy tannins.
The bitterness/sourness stays during the evening, and probably comes from too much new wood being used?
Still, a decent new world wine, but way to expensive compared to what you get.
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8/1/2012 - Casadellago wrote:
- Ruby color and aromas of blackberry, raspberry, black currant, chocolate and black pepper.
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4/20/2012 - wmccone54 wrote: 93 Points
Restaurant purchase, first time ever having Clos Apalta. It definitely lives up to its reputation. Inky purple, thick, full bodied. Highly complex with a very aromatic and perfumed nose. New World style with an Old World flare; great balance of primary fruit, tertiary flavors, tannins, and acidity. Lots going on with many different flavors: black spicy currant, blackberries, cherries, anise, tobacco and dark expresso. The Camenere in the blend really gives this wine a unique character. Great finish. Enjoyed at a birthday celebration with chargrilled steaks.
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4/8/2012 - gbgpatrik wrote: 91 Points
Rött, tätt, cabarnet dominerade smaken. Tydliga ektoner drog nedmbetyget lite på detta annars mycket goda vin.
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2/13/2012 - Empirate wrote: 93 Points
Terrific Cabernet dominated fruit and spice bouquet. Complex on the palate with green pepper Carmenere blending with dark flesh and berry fruit as well as mineral notes. Polished, elegant tannins. Medium-long finish. Young; excellent to drink now with decant or hold. Buy more.
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1/29/2012 - Niagara wrote: 84 Points
Kind of bad.
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1/7/2012 - sdsull wrote: 88 Points
Tannic, bitter and nothing like the 05. Age would NOT improve this bottle.
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12/28/2011 - Gobi wrote: 92 Points
A blend of 61% Carmenere, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. A very intensely colored wine with a dark central core with a bright ruby red rim, also exhibiting a nice glossy surface foreshadowing its viscous texture. The nose is quite polished and gentile showing strong aromas of raspberry liqueur, cherries, blackberries, roasted coffee beans, small dollops of milk chocolate, vanilla, floral aromas, new leather, graphite, and a touch of spices on the end. On the palate the fruit comes across very pure, with intense raspberries and maraschino cherries on the attack, bitter coffee with dark chocolate mixed together with blackberry liqueur on the mid-palate and continuing on to the finish with a dab of creamy vanilla. A very soft delicate textured wine with a muscled structure; a dash of acidity with massive grainy almost green tannins with high amounts of alcohol that burn on the after taste. This definitely show's its French pedigree, almost Right Bank Bordeaux with that New World purity in fruit and high alcohol. Just a tad bit uncontrolled and out of harmony with the massive alcohol and tannic presence.
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12/28/2011 - tb_baltimore Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of lemon and thyme with a bit of a yeast smell. The taste was initially of blackberry, followed by licorice. Very nice sense of balance and pleasure from this wine, though not a strongly memorable or unusual flavor profile.
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11/30/2011 - VinoDiver wrote: 70 Points
I purchased the bottle for Thanksgiving based on my previous understandings of this bottling and the current CT notes on it. I decanted 2 hours prior to dinner with a small taste on opening. My initial taste yielded no fruit, little tannin, and a nice mouth feel. After 2 hours my initial taste still holding and the wine doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. This wine was then consumed over the next 4 days to see if it would improve and it did not. It never showed fruit, or enough of anything for me to be able to give it any score above below average. This wine was a complete disappointment.
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8/14/2011 - Porchino wrote: 88 Points
Too much tannin
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7/11/2011 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
Clear dark ruby in colour. Clean med+ nose of black fruit, black current, and some spice. Dry, med acidity, big tannins, full bodied, black current, blackberries, spice, and cedar on palate. long finish. Popped and poured, so this may not have been the best example of wine.
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5/26/2011 - Biglama wrote: 88 Points
erg dik en iets over de top, veel alcohol wat duidelijk waarneembaar is. zeker nog veel te jong gedronken, heeft wellicht de tijd nodig om wat tot rust en evenwicht te komen, geen koop
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4/2/2011 - jeffm_fla wrote:
Disappointing - not as good as my previous bottle. A bit raisiny and flat. Score would have been 85 or less
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3/2/2011 - kpennell wrote:
Beautiful color, long and arid finish. Agree this is a young wine which requires massive aeration. If drank with meat/cheese, the tannins are reasonably neutralized, but even decanted, without food the finish will suck your eyebrows into your skull. Terrific flavor, but hoping this mellows with time.
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2/12/2011 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
The quality shows right off the bat, with gorgeous ruby-purple colr int the glass, bright red currant fruit, delicate herbs, berries, and a little coffee on the nose. Shows very little oak. Nicely textured palate of black currant and red berries, with a firm structure and good finish.
This comes off more as right bank Bordeaux than Chile, because it lacks the signature loamy earth notes I love in Chilean wines. That's not unusual, the Clos Apalta is usually the most refined, international style of the country's top wines. But '05 had that earthy Chilean terrior in in spades, which made it great, in my opinion.
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2/2/2011 - vegasoenophile wrote: 91 Points
- Tasted at Wine Spectator New World Wine Experience 2010
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1/27/2011 - M.Batard wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at the winery. Deep purple color. Big nose of blackberry or black currant, with a hint of chocolate. Black fruit on the palate. Already smooth on the palate, but enough tannins to keep developing. Finish goes on and on and on. Very drinkable.
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1/27/2011 - ddingley Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened after skiing in late afternoon with limited food around, was very tannic and I think not properly opened up despite some effort to speed up aeration. Was a little better when I warmed up leftover bacon to have something rich to have with it! Saving my other 4 for awhile because it wasn't showing as much as expected but seems to have good potential. First bottle was a little better from memory in restaurant with beef.
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1/4/2011 - GrapeApe808 wrote:
Too over the top for me. Smokey.
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12/28/2010 - CMz wrote: 92 Points
Opened w 90 minutes air in bottle. Rich purple, slightly lighter on the edge. Nose still a little tight but showing red cherry, plum and vanilla. Still some youthful tannins flexing in the glass but not overpowering an almost silky mouthful of plum, raspberry, olives and vanilla. This wine can benefit from another 2+ years in the bottle as it is still too young, even with an extended decant.
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12/8/2010 - skhemka wrote: 90 Points
Lots of tulsi (Basil) on the initial nose. the wine is certainly not in its peak and will hold for quite a bit. well done LVMH, its one of the only chilean wines I am proud to have in my cellars
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9/4/2010 - Niagara wrote: 92 Points
Rich, drinkable, but should be kept for a few years.
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8/31/2010 - jcomm wrote: 89 Points
Compared to the 2005, this is way too one dimensional!!!Way tool young. Deep garnet color, almost inky. The Oak monster is here and lots of candied dried fruit on the nose. Plum and dark chocolate fill the mouth. The tannins are quite drying. Finish is really long but the aftretaste is like cough syrup!!!
It should hopefully improve with a few years but nowhere near the 2005!!!
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7/21/2010 - djdaqm wrote: 91 Points
Plenty of tannins. Medium density. On the palette the wine is showing quite a bit of olives. At the moment, it is almost unfair to rate as the wine is quite disjoint.
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7/15/2010 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
LVMH at Binny's (Binny's Lincoln Park, Chicago IL): nose: tight, but pungent with very good depth and tones of spices, anise, loam, some bits of asphalt, black currants, dark red cherries and dark red fruits. On the riper side but the asphalt tones aren't too pronounced
taste: very silky and elegant with some very chewy tannins. Backed up by plush tones of spices, anise, black currants, dark red cherries and dark red fruits
overall: definitely in need of some age, but a real elegant wine in the making. The polish is there right now and it just needs to let everything show through. Not as ripe on the palate and a bit more dialed back as well
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7/15/2010 - IWineAlot wrote: 91 Points
Moet Hennessey Winemaker Grand Tour @ Binny's (Lincoln Park Binny's): Didn't think this wine was as good as all the hype behind it. Still a tight young wine which may improve over the next few years. Mouthfeel was smooth and silky I got lots of dark red fruits and vanilla.
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6/17/2010 - brodarte wrote: 90 Points
Curiosity killed the cat and opened this bottle to get a sneak preview of the 2005. Still young. Dark. Deep garnet color, almost black. Oak and dried fruit on the nose. Prune, some cacao and anis while swirling on the mouth. Tanins make themselves very evident! And what a finish! Still present while I am typing this e-mail! Still a bit acid, but should settle down with a few years. Drink 2013.
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6/13/2010 - mactheknife wrote: 93 Points
Had a Chile tasting night and enjoyed a broad range of wines; the headliner with the Clos Apalta. I opened at 3pm and served at 8pm. It was very tight when I opened it but evolved nicely. Still very young but great potential. Extremely dark with black and blue fruit flavors. A hint of graphite and beautiful mouthfeel. I will open another in about 5 years. Tannins still have a grip though.
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5/1/2010 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Ultimate Parker in Singapore Mega-Tasting (The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore): Extremely young, but I thought this was very good - lots of quality here. Nose was very nice - sweet ripe cherries and raspberries were bolstered by savoury earth notes and seasoned with some nicely integrated vanilla oak tones. Palate was still tightly-wound together, with really firm tannins showing, but was really pleasant for all that. Good crunchy fruit, with a panapoly of dark cherries, some cassis and sweet blueberries, seasoned with spicy Camanere notes. Really nice balance here, especially obvious in the way the wine shaped up into a longish finish that was at once fresh and grippy, with mouthcoating tannins forming a backdrop to more spice notes and a final kiss of vanilla. Needs time to come together and unfold, but I think this will be a really nice wine down the road. Plenty of interest factor and complexity hidden in there somewhere. 10 years would be good, but I think this will go on even longer. Head and shoulders above the rather boring Don Melchor tasted alongside.
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4/30/2010 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2010 (Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, Washington DC): nice plum profile. red & black fruit. turns a little hot after 10s on finish.
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4/22/2010 - scotty_b wrote: 94 Points
Tasted at Total Wine in Tustin, CA with winemaker Andrea Leon. Vertical with the 06 and 07. The 07 is closed up tight right now but you can tell it's a big boy. Big tannic structure but not bitter. Coats the palate. Taste of dark fruit, with mocha, pencil lead and spice. Will be awesome in a few years.
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3/24/2010 - MindMuse Likes this wine: 96 Points
Had at a Casa Lapostolle event. Forgot to ask how long they'd had it open - double decanted I suspect. We were told 48/18/18/6% Carmenere/Merlot/Cab/Petit Verdot (although that differs from the sales sheet on the web I see.) Ungrafted vines for the Carmenere and Cab.
Dense, luminous garnet. Nose and flavors of black currant, mulberry, black pepper, nut hulls, pencil lead, dusting of herbs. Young, of course, but absolutely sensational nevertheless right now. Elegant, velvety, long finish. I couldn't sit still with this. An electric beauty.
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2/14/2010 - mactheknife wrote: 92 Points
Opened at a restaurant and decanted for less than an hour; still tight but the potential was there; powerful but the tannins have a grip right now; nevertheless the potential is serious.
Black fruit and an beautiful opaque color. Hiints of oak, but in its proper perspective. I would wait for 3-5 years and try another. Or leave open for several hours
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