Clos Apalta : Prelude 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of the Prelude 2024 by Clos Apalta

Tasting Notes

Appearance
This wine reveals a deep, remarkably bright purplish-red colour.

Nose
The bouquet is highly expressive, releasing generous aromas of black fruit intertwined with notes of herbs and spices.

Palate
On the palate, this wine shows medium body with a perfectly polished texture. Round, juicy tannins carry through to a long, satisfying finish.

Serving and Cellaring
Thanks to the exceptional climatic conditions of its terroir, which favour slow ripening, the Prelude 2024 boasts great ageing potential.

The Elegance of a Great Chilean Wine at the Heart of Colchagua Valley

The Estate
Founded in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband, Clos Apalta spans 160 hectares, including 53 hectares of carefully selected vines, within Colchagua Valley, a prestigious appellation located in the vast Central Valley region. Today, the estate is led by the Bournet-Lapostolle family, with Charles de Bournet at the helm. Heir to a historic French know-how in spirits, the family has successfully built an international reputation by creating exceptional Chilean wines. The estate stands out for its organic viticulture and biodynamic approach, placing its wines among the most acclaimed in the world.

The Vineyard
Located in Colchagua Valley, 170 kilometres southwest of Santiago, the terroir benefits from a rare north-south exposure. Protected by the Tinguiririca River and the Coastal Range, which tempers the sun's intensity, the vines enjoy a semi-dry Mediterranean climate with strong thermal amplitude. The very ancient soils, dating back to the Cretaceous period, provide excellent drainage on slopes of 2 to 15%. They are composed of granite, clay, sandy silt and quartz gravel. The vineyard, certified organic and sustainable, includes historic plots planted as early as 1907, trained using the double guyot method with yields limited to 4.0 t/ha.

The Vintage
The year 2024 in Central Valley was marked by a cool, wet growing season. Winter brought abundant rainfall, followed by an equally rainy spring. Temperatures remained moderately cool throughout the growing cycle, with no episodes of frost or heatwaves. These mild climatic conditions led to slow berry ripening and a later harvest than usual. As a result, yields for this vintage came in around 10% below the usual average.

Winemaking and Ageing
Harvest took place from 18 March to 3 May. In the cellar, the making of the Prelude 2024 begins with a four- to five-week maceration accompanied by manual punch-downs. Fermentation takes place in 75-hectolitre French oak vats, at a controlled temperature of between 28 and 30°C. The wine is then aged for 17 months in French oak barrels, comprising 10% new barrels and 90% barrels that have previously held two to three vintages. Bottling is scheduled for January 2026.

Grape Varieties
64% Carmenere, 18% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc