Casa Lapostolle, Colchagua Valley (Chile) Clos Apalta 2008

($75, Moët Hennessey USA):  This, Casa Lapostolle’s top wine, remains one of Chile’s best.  Made primarily from Carménère, Chile’s signature grape, it combines fruit flavors—both black and red—with earthy and herbal notes in a luxuriously supple package of fine tannins.  The non-fruit nuances for which Carménère is notorious add great complexity.  A concentrated wine, it is by no means over the top.  Its silky texture and great length makes it easy to enjoy now, but its balance and harmony suggest it will evolve beautifully with a decade of cellaring. The 2008 Might just be their best ever. 95 Michael Apstein Mar 27, 2012