Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Winery: Casa Lapostolle
Wine: Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Location: Rapel Valley, Chile
Purchased: The Corkscrew
Price: $13.99
Several weeks ago, our local wine store tasted the 2008 wine of the year, Casa Lapostolle’s Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005. Before tasting “the wine,” I sampled Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon so I could compare. While it was good, it didn’t compare to “the wine.” However, I mentioned it to Jonathan, and he was set on tasting it since he missed tasting Casa Lapostolle’s Clos Apalta Colchagua Valley 2005.
Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon appears rich with deep burgundy colors. It provided nice aromas of oak, red fruits, currents and leather. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of oak. Just enough was present to add a nice touch. (I’m not a fan of excessive oak.) It was pretty evident from the first sip this was a young wine. Jonathan and I immediately went for the decanter. However, our dinner was almost ready so the wine only had 30 minutes to decant. Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon showcased darker fruits and slight hints of spice on the palate. The wine was still very tannic leaving a furry feeling in the mouth. It did have a moderately bold finish. I think this wine needs a little more time before it reaches its prime. Give it a year or two and taste again.
Casa Lapostolle Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Carmenère, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. 70% of the blend was aged in used French oak barrels, and 30% was aged in stainless steel tanks. The 2005-2006 growing season was fairly normal, but the late summer temperatures were cooler than usual. This forced vineyards to extend the hang-time of grapes in order to reach proper maturity. Luckily, there was no rainfall during the harvest.
Casa Lapostolle is owned by the Marnier-Lapostolle group, of Grand Marnier fame. The winery was founded in 1994, and owns three different vineyards, growing Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère and Syrah.
I agree with your review of this bottle. My family and I tasted it as part of a “Continental Cabernet” evening and it’s the wine that no one remembered. It’s not that it’s a poor wine, it was simply not as good as the best and not as bad as the worst (very memorable!)