Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle, Apalta (Chile) 2019

 Each time I reread the saga of the Bournet-Lapostolle family, first in France and then in Chile, it reminds me of the magic realism of a Márquez or Allende novel, and the domaine’s wines at their best have a scent and flavor of magic realism as well.  They are complex and at once beckoning and elusive.  Even for a substantial red, Clos Apalta has a springtime lilt in its berry/barrel aromas, smooth yet rounded cherry and blackberry fruit, unabashed barrel notes and pecan and walnut tannins.  The structure plays with the palate, first showing opulent fruit clouds before quickly tapering to a lean and long finish and a hint of bitters.  A glass or two with a slice of red-tinted beef Wellington, and, well…   A blend of Carmenère (70%), Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot, it went through primary and secondary fermentation on various French oaks and was aged for 24 months.  That it is 15% alcohol comes as a bit of a surprise.