Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2018

Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2018 is a biodynamic, Carménère-led red blend from Chile's Apalta Valley, bottled at 15% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Awarded 98 points by James Suckling and 97 points from Decanter, this vintage stands among the most critically acclaimed Chilean wines of its release year.

Quick Facts: ABV: 15%  |  Origin: Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile  |  Vintage: 2018  |  Winery: Casa Lapostolle

Production & Heritage

Casa Lapostolle was founded in 1994 by the Marnier-Lapostolle family, owners of Grand Marnier, who were drawn to the exceptional terroir of Chile's Colchagua Valley. Clos Apalta is the estate's flagship wine, produced under the direct guidance of legendary consulting winemaker Michel Rolland. The 2018 vintage blends 64% Carménère, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 18% Merlot from biodynamically farmed vineyards, aged for 24 months in 85% new French oak barrels before being bottled in October 2020. Just 92,748 bottles were produced, underscoring its limited-production status among South America's top reds.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with a dark, inky intensity — prune, blueberries, and blackberries give way to dried flowers, sweet tobacco, and cigar box. Deeper layers reveal graphite, rosemary, green peppercorns, and a subtle whiff of smoke.

Taste: On entry, the wine is showy and hedonistic, delivering chocolate-covered cherries, licorice, and baking spices across a full-bodied, lush palate. At mid-palate, tart cherry and cedar emerge alongside coffee and hints of rhubarb. A mineral thread — granite-laced and focused — keeps the richness grounded and adds structural precision.

Finish: The finish is long and powerful, dominated by black peppercorns, tea leaves, and tobacco. Abundant velvety tannins linger with impressive persistence, suggesting strong cellaring potential through the early 2030s and beyond.

How to Drink Clos Apalta 2018

A wine of this caliber and structure deserves to be served in a large-bowled glass at around 16–18°C (61–64°F), ideally after a 60- to 90-minute decant. Drinking neat is the recommended approach to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity and tannic architecture. While not a typical cocktail wine, it shines at the dinner table alongside bold cuisine.

Best For

• Gifting a serious wine collector or Chilean wine enthusiast
• Anchoring a high-end dinner party with grilled red meats
• Cellaring as part of a South American fine wine portfolio
• Celebrating a milestone vintage year — weddings, anniversaries, or births from 2018

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Clos Apalta 2018 taste like? It is a full-bodied, hedonistic red with dominant flavors of dark berries, chocolate-covered cherries, licorice, tobacco, and baking spices, supported by velvety tannins and a mineral backbone of graphite and granite.

How does Clos Apalta 2018 compare to Catena Adrianna Vineyard Fortuna Terrae 2018? Both are top-tier South American reds from the same vintage, but Clos Apalta leans into the richer, more opulent style driven by its Carménère-dominant blend and Rolland's winemaking hand. The Catena Fortuna Terrae, a high-altitude Argentine Malbec, tends toward greater freshness and acidity from its Mendoza terroir.

Is Clos Apalta 2018 good for cellaring? Yes — the combination of 15% ABV, dense tannin structure, and 24 months in new oak gives the 2018 significant aging potential, with most critics suggesting a drinking window extending well into the 2030s.

Where is Clos Apalta made? Clos Apalta is produced by Casa Lapostolle at their estate winery in the Apalta sub-region of Chile's Colchagua Valley, a warm area renowned for producing some of the country's most concentrated and complex red wines.

What foods pair well with Clos Apalta 2018? Grilled ribeye steak complements the wine's dark fruit and smoky undertones. Braised lamb shanks with rosemary echo its herbal aromatics. Aged Manchego or Gruyère mirror its rich texture. Dark chocolate desserts align with its cocoa and coffee notes. Slow-smoked brisket stands up to the wine's full body and tannic grip.

What sizes does Clos Apalta come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle; availability of other formats may vary by vintage.

Is Clos Apalta 2018 worth the price? Clos Apalta positions firmly in the ultra-premium tier of Chilean wine, and the 2018 vintage — scoring 98 points from James Suckling, 97 from Decanter, and 96 from Wine Advocate — represents one of the strongest critical showings in the wine's history, which supports its placement among South America's most collectible reds.

Why Clos Apalta 2018?

The 2018 vintage earned near-universal critical acclaim, collecting 98 points from James Suckling, 97 from Decanter, and 96 from Wine Advocate's Luis Gutiérrez — a trio of scores that places it among the highest-rated Chilean wines of any vintage. Michel Rolland's personal involvement in the entire production process, from vineyard to barrel selection, gives the wine a signature polish rarely matched in the region. The Carménère-dominant blend is a distinctly Chilean proposition, showcasing a grape variety that has become the country's calling card, expressed here at its most concentrated and refined. With fewer than 93,000 bottles produced from biodynamically farmed fruit, Clos Apalta 2018 is both a benchmark for Colchagua Valley winemaking and a finite collector's piece.