PRE-ARRIVAL: The 100-Point Clos Apalta and its 95-Point Baby Brother!
In 1880, a French distiller named Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle invented a decadent libation by combining cognac with a rare variety of bitter oranges. Grand Marnier was born! Today, it remains France’s most exported premium liqueur.
114 years later, his great-granddaughter, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, traveled to Chile with the goal of making world class wine. She discovered a plot in the Colchagua Valley that would become Clos Apalta and, in 1997, launched what would become one of Chile’s greatest wineries.
Alexandra’s son, Charles-Henri de Bournet Marnier Lapostolle - the seventh generation of this dynamic beverage family - is now making their best wines yet. With the 2021 release, their range-topping Clos Apalta red earned its highest ever reviews, including 98 Points from Vinous and a perfect 100 Points from James Suckling.
Today, on a pre-arrival basis, we bring you this thrilling red along with something potentially even more exciting, a new 95-Point cuvée from the same estate that sells for nearly $100 less less than its big brother!
Read on for all the details, then hit quick on that Big Green Button to get in on these Southern Hemisphere superstars.
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2021 Clos Apalta "Clos Apalta"
Colchagua, Valle Central, Chile
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Made from vines planted as far back as 1910, this iconic red has earned 98 Points from Vinous along with a perfect 100-Point score from James Suckling. It also took home the #6 spot on Wine Spectator's "Top 100" list!
Made in an expressive style, it is a full realization of the vision that Alexandra had nearly 30 years ago. Absolutely delicious, and still a very young wine, it is a world class red that deserves a spot in any serious cellar.
“Extremely aromatic with red currants, blackcurrants, spices, iodine, paprika and subtle hints of white pepper. Fresh flowers, fresh sage, lavender and some pine needles and sandalwood. Medium-bodied with perfectly integrated tannins that go on for minutes with refined and harmonious fruit that integrates beautifully into the wine, giving it a weightless structure that shows class and verve. Endless balance and length. It’s so balanced that you could drink it now but it will age for decades. A blend of 75% carmenere, 18% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot. Best after 2028.”
- 100 Points, James Suckling (2/11/2024)
"Aromatically complex and intriguing, this offers a spiced plum pastry note that melds with petrichor, pine, dried violet and cocoa powder elements. The palate is round and richly textured, with Szechuan peppercorn accents to the concentrated black cherry, plum and cassis center. Everything comes together harmoniously on the finish and lingers, with present but integrated tannins. A stunner that should develop nicely in the cellar. Carmenère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2040.”
- 96 Points, Wine Spectator (5/31/2025)
“The 2021 Clos Apalta comprises 75% Carménère, with the remainder filled out by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, sourced from the eponymous Apalta Vineyard. It was aged for 24 months in oak barrels, two-thirds of which were new. This dark purple wine reveals nuanced aromas of graphite, herbs, dried plums and blackberry marmalade, complemented by mint, boldo and garrigue-like notes over a green bell pepper layer. Plush and ample on the palate, it is lifted by a mild refreshing quality that adds a rare nimbleness to its flow. This long-lasting red is a serious wine, less influenced by Michel Rolland's style than in other years, as the fresh vintage imparted a lighter, less ripe and more expressive character. Clos Apalta is one of those rare Chilean wines that reliably showcases the characteristics of each vintage while maintaining a consistent house style. That steadiness is a boon for consumers, as it allows them to appreciate the impact of different vintages, which is a significant part of the allure of high-quality wines. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2040.”
- 98 Points, Vinous - Joaquin Hidalgo (7/2024)
Wine Spectator quotes $170. Median online retail is $160. Our price, as usual, is a whole lot less. Whether you grab a bottle or a beautiful wooden six-bottle case, make sure to lay it down for at least a few more years before digging in!
Vin Chicago Price: 123.99
2023 Clos Apalta "Prelude"
Colchagua, Valle Central, Chile
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Pouring a beautiful purple/ruby color, the 2023 Prelude leaps from the glass with a wonderfully fresh Bordeaux-inspired, Chilean-tinged collection of cassis, black raspberry, dusty gravel, bell pepper, tobacco, cedar and cherry licorice. These notes continue to pop on the palate as chalky limestone, red rock, cola and white pepper secondary notes add complexity to what is a very lifted palate housing a noble frame of medium-plus tannins.
On the second and third day after opening, our sample bottle expanded even further, with the deep cassis fruits gaining complexity and giving extra weight and energy to the Bordeaux-like herbal notes and stony minerality.
As with the Clos Apalta, Prelude is crafted entirely from estate grown fruit. It's an impressive wine that tastes like a well-crafted Right Bank Bordeaux costing 50% more! Scores from the critics are as high as 95 points. Interestingly, it is Decanter Magazine, who writes the most passionate and compelling review!
“Lovely freshness from this warm year, with good depth and concentration. Fresh cherries, blackberries, paprika, spices and tapenade on the nose. Juicy and almost full-bodied on the palate, with melted, dusty tannins and a long finish. 50% carmenere, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 10% merlot. About 16 months in barrels, of which 18% were new oak and the rest is second-use. Drink from 2026.”
- 95 Points, James Suckling (4/13/2025)
“So aromatic, dark black fruit, bramble berries - ripe and heady, deep and seductive. Damson plum, earthy scents, wet soil and a touch of gunsmoke. Intensely perfumed blackcurrants, liquorice and black chocolate. Svelte and streamlined with soft, well-integrated tannins and gorgeous fruit purity - keeps a streamlined structure. Poised, lovely delicacy, nothing overblown. There’s power but also restraint. Some granite and pencil lead minerality really adds the salinity and touch of metalicism as well as spice and toast accent the fruit but overall stay in the background. Ends on a toasted liquorice note. Great quality. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2033.”
- 91 Points, Decanter (7/6/2025)
“The 2023 Prelude is a blend of 50% Carménère, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot from Apalta. This aged for 17 months in 10% new and 90% second and third use French oak barrels. It opens with delicate ash and pyrazine notes alongside blackberry and a touch of currant, supported by well-integrated oak. Dry and broad, with a mid-palate richness, this delivers a profile of black fruit and barrel spice. The 2023 is a red with medium concentration, polished grip and a fruit-forward finish. It should improve in bottle - this is an elegant stylistic exercise from Clos Apalta. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035.”
- 92 Points, Vinous - Joaquin Hidalgo (6/2025)
At nearly $100 less than the Clos Apalta flagship, this stuff is a steal. We appear to be the first to offer the 2023 vintage, and we do so for a price that beats every online listing for the previous vintage. Grab a few bottles or a six-pack case to enjoy while you’re waiting for your 100-Point Clos Apalta to reach its ideal drinking window!
Vin Chicago Price: 26.99
