Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta Apalta Vineyard 2002

"The latest vintage of this classic Chilean red has been born in a complicated year in Colchagua. Heavy rains in late March, when grapes were ripening, required a careful selection of fruit. The reduced total production to 3,150 cases, from 4,600 in 2001. This sacrifice, however, paid off. Less monumental than the previous vintage, this is equally fleshy and generous, more elegant and balanced in its youth. It has Clos Apalta's trademark: those voluptuous, Sophia Loren-style tannins, its flavors of chocolate and blackberries covering every corner of your palate. An expansive wine, wonderfully excessive as usual, it will gain complexity with time in the bottle." 94 Points - Wine&Spirits, February 2005 "Beautiful color, with vivid boysenberry and blackberry fruit flavors that easily handle the layers of vanilla-tinged toast. Roasted herb, brier and black currant notes run through the finish, which shows the firm edge of the vintage, but a superb effort nonetheless. Carmenère, Merlot and Minimize