Apalta – Wine Snob

South American wines are perhaps the best Bang for your Buck deals in the world, especially from Argentina, Chile, and now Uruguay. It seems to be expected that a $20 bottle of wine will drink like a $30-40 bottle. However it is rare to find a $50 bottle (42.99 on Vivino right now!!) that drinks like a $100 bottle. Folks, meet the Clos Apalta Les Petit Clos. Perhaps the best quality winery in all of Chile, their flagship wine is approximately $150 and has scored 100 points twice from James Sucking (if that matters to you). This 2nd wine they make is just as unique and amazing as their flagship. Les Petit Clos is always a Bordeaux blend that includes the infamous Chilean Carmenere – this 2017 blend was the following: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Carmenere, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 👁️: dark Ruby red, bordering on purple. 👃: blueberry compote and herbs 👅: again, big time blueberry black currants, and herbs. Huge tannins out of the bottle – needed a good hour+ to mellow out. But boy, did this wine deliver well above its price point. Tannins mellowed out a bit, but they were somewhere short of being grippy. The finish is just flat out insane and smooth for being a wine under $100. Overall this is a stunning wine. The fact that it was mostly Cabernet with a bit of Carmenere is crazy, given how well the herbs showed through on the backend of the fruit. It also amazes me, because this might easily be the best Chilean wine under $100…. With its big brother being the best Chilean wine period (competes with the Almaviva, imho). As much as I love the Purple Angel, I think i prefer the structure and Bordeaux-Esque complexity of this wine more.

About our guest

I’m Eric the guy behind @aboveavgbro wine page. Based in Texas, originally from New England, I became a winesnob over the years as I found myself consuming less for quantity, and more for quality. I can appreciate a good $20 bottle of wine so long as it is memorable and creates an experience for those tasting it.

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2014 Syrah (Pangea) by Ventisquero Wine Estates, ChileWine Estates, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile Felipe and his team of prolific winemakers are quietly putting out wines of head scratching quality, complexity and fidelity, down in Chile. You have to taste for yourself. Dark semi opaque color. Uncorking releases a punch of ripe fruit aromas. Ripe plums, blueberries and blackberries up front, intertwined with a sweet cedarwood essence reminiscent of Japanese cedar. Granite rocky leather lingers in the back. A subtle bright freshness permeates the stage, closest thing I can think of is sweet minty herbs. The nose and color are deceiving as this wine does a double-take, pulling back considerably. A medium-light body greets, balanced right down the middle with slightly dry plums and blackberries. Fully suspended fine grained dusty tannins begin precipitating upon the palate immediately, building up thick layers of dusty, chewy grit. Mid-way through a warm spice emerges and slowly builds up to an eventual crescendo in the finish. A thick, weighted mouth feel accompanies the whole experience till the very end, eventually leaving the palate slightly parched, gripping and tingling.

This is a well executed Syrah. I’m not the least surprised, coming from our 2022 Winemaker of the Year. Winemaker Felipe Tosso and his team deliver a fine example of what so great about this region. I recently toured this Vineyard with Angel, the Viticulturist (Ranger of Apalta) last month. I recognize it’s sense of place. Both Felipe and Angel’s synergies really shine here. Bien hecho amigos! Read more Ventisquero on WineSnob. The folks at Ventisquero are winesnobs themselves and would love to share with you. Use promo code WINESNOB for 25% off plus free delivery on 3 or more bottles at VentisqueroWineClub.com ** This content is not sponsored or paid for in any way.