2020 Petit Clos

Le Petit Clos 2020 (Apalta Valley, Colchagua, Chile; a blend of Carménère, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and a little Petit Verdot; 15% alcohol). The second wine of Clos Apalta. Aromatically very open, with a heady mix of incense, olive tapenade, exotic sweet spices and dark berry and stone fruit, but also a little mimosa. The tannins are soft and plush, the mid-palate richly filled and this is impressively well-sustained on the finish. It’s tempting to pull the cork on this right now, but this is also very age-worthy and will benefit from a period of 2-3 years in the cellar.
93/100+ Colin Hay; The Drinks Business

Clear spice, fragrant aromatic frame, showing liqourice, cloves and incense. This was clearly a warm year, with high spice running alongside sweet blackberry and chocolate notes. Dry finish, plenty of energy and grip. This is from vines on south-facing slopes, mitigating the heat of the vintage. Long and slow fermentation, 50% new oak for ageing, with the cellar selection for Petit Clos happening in the cellar after 12 months of ageing, almost always from the younger plantings. Bottled without fining or filtration, no need to wait too long to crack open but will beneft from a long decant.
92/100 Jane Anson