Le Petit Clos 2023
Apalta
Chile, Chile
Regular price£162.00
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Arriving: Late 2026
Shipping duty paid to Mainland UK is charged at a flat rate of £9.99 per consignment and POA for Northern Ireland or Islands.
Shipping under bond is dependant on location, but starts at £15 per consignment.
| Style: Red | Packaging: OWC |
| ABV: % | Closure: Cork |
| Organic: | Drink from: 2026 |
| Biodynamic: | Drink to: 2032 |
| Grapes: 45% Carmenère, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot | |
Critic scores
92 RP, 94 VM, 95 JS, 91 JD, 92 JA, 95 DB
Critic reviews
"The 2023 Le Petit Clos is a concentrated expression of a warm vintage that successfully avoids the somewhat attenuated nature I often associate with the harvest. A lifted bouquet of ripe red fruits with fresh herbal accents introduces a plush, generously textured mouthfeel that retains the signature polished framing that defines the Clos Apalta wines. It concludes with an impressively measured finish that foregrounds pure fruit flavors framed with well-integrated tannins. The blend is 45% Carmenère, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot."
Matthew Luczy, May 2026, RobertParker.com
"The 2023 Le Petit Clos (45% Carménère, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot) from Apalta was aged 18 months in French oak, 35% new. It opens with ripe plum, a touch of violet and soft blackberry, with oak in the background. The palate is smooth and fruit-driven, with a fine texture that is slightly lighter than the previous vintage due to an earlier harvest. It retains depth and a clear, lively expression."
Joaquin Hidalgo, August 2026, Vinous.com
"Aromas of rich cassis, carmenere spiciness, tobacco and a touch of chocolate. Nicely fluid, with fine-grained tannins and a long finish. Supple at the end. 45% carmenere, 41% cabernet sauvignon, 11% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink or hold."
Zekun Shuai, July 2026, JamesSuckling.com
"The second wine of this estate, the 2023 Le Petit Clos is based on 45% Carmenere, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and aged 14 months in 40% new oak with the balance in once-used barrels. Ripe red and blue fruits, red peppercorns, minty herbs, and gamey nuances emerge from the nose. It's medium-bodied, charming, balanced, and elegant on the palate, with fine tannins and a good finish. Drink this solid effort over the coming 5-7 years. Drink 2026-2032."
Jeb Dunnuck, March 2026, JebDunnuck.com
"Inky blue-black in colour; vivid blueberry and redcurrant fruits, silky tannins and a ton of moreish salted cracker and liquorice. 35% new oak. A warmer vintage, 1-2C above usual through growing season, with very low rainfall, meaning canopy management and irrigation were key. 3.58ph, 100% new French oak, but large sized casks 750l. Harvest finished here April 13 after beginning February 27. Andrea Léon winemaker."
Jane Anson, July 2026, JaneAnson.com
"The warmest vintage on record here and the driest too. Intense, compact in form but very lifted, bright in its acidity and vertical in presentation. Pink rose peppercorns and the freshness they convey, the value of altitude in a vintage like this. There is concentration from the near drought conditions, but no sense of stress conveyed to the wine itself. This is dynamic in the mouth, sinuous across the palate and radiant in its sheer fruit intensity. It feels solar on the finish, but retains its freshness all the length of the palate. 95."
Colin Hay, August 2026, DrinksBusiness.com
Matthew Luczy, May 2026, RobertParker.com
"The 2023 Le Petit Clos (45% Carménère, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot) from Apalta was aged 18 months in French oak, 35% new. It opens with ripe plum, a touch of violet and soft blackberry, with oak in the background. The palate is smooth and fruit-driven, with a fine texture that is slightly lighter than the previous vintage due to an earlier harvest. It retains depth and a clear, lively expression."
Joaquin Hidalgo, August 2026, Vinous.com
"Aromas of rich cassis, carmenere spiciness, tobacco and a touch of chocolate. Nicely fluid, with fine-grained tannins and a long finish. Supple at the end. 45% carmenere, 41% cabernet sauvignon, 11% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink or hold."
Zekun Shuai, July 2026, JamesSuckling.com
"The second wine of this estate, the 2023 Le Petit Clos is based on 45% Carmenere, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and aged 14 months in 40% new oak with the balance in once-used barrels. Ripe red and blue fruits, red peppercorns, minty herbs, and gamey nuances emerge from the nose. It's medium-bodied, charming, balanced, and elegant on the palate, with fine tannins and a good finish. Drink this solid effort over the coming 5-7 years. Drink 2026-2032."
Jeb Dunnuck, March 2026, JebDunnuck.com
"Inky blue-black in colour; vivid blueberry and redcurrant fruits, silky tannins and a ton of moreish salted cracker and liquorice. 35% new oak. A warmer vintage, 1-2C above usual through growing season, with very low rainfall, meaning canopy management and irrigation were key. 3.58ph, 100% new French oak, but large sized casks 750l. Harvest finished here April 13 after beginning February 27. Andrea Léon winemaker."
Jane Anson, July 2026, JaneAnson.com
"The warmest vintage on record here and the driest too. Intense, compact in form but very lifted, bright in its acidity and vertical in presentation. Pink rose peppercorns and the freshness they convey, the value of altitude in a vintage like this. There is concentration from the near drought conditions, but no sense of stress conveyed to the wine itself. This is dynamic in the mouth, sinuous across the palate and radiant in its sheer fruit intensity. It feels solar on the finish, but retains its freshness all the length of the palate. 95."
Colin Hay, August 2026, DrinksBusiness.com