Cellar Selection

Viña Neyen De Apalta 2010 Espíritu de Apalta, Colchagua Valley

The Neyen Winery was founded in 2002 on the site of one of Apalta’s first wineries, built in 1890. Nestled into a horseshoe-shaped ring of mountains, Neyen produces a treasured red wine reflective of the famed terroir enclosed by the Tinguiririca River, blessed by the sun, and protected by the Coastal Mountain Range. The Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon vines, from pre-phylloxera cuttings imported from Bordeaux, have produced high quality fruit since their first harvest in the early 1890s. For decades, the rich fruit supplied Chile’s top producers. By 2002, Apalta had become known around the world as a source of prestigious wine. The Rojas family, who purchased the property in 1973, knew that the 3,300 acre property they had owned for more than 30 years is uniquely special and created Neyen to showcase this remarkable vineyard. In 2012, they partnered with the Huneeus family, proprietors of Quintessa in Napa Valley, to bring this hidden gem to the US. The desire to make a single, truly great wine led the family to develop a unique blend that would best represent the virtues of this valley. Neyen, meaning “spirit” in the native tongue, had to reflect the centuries of existence and the soul of the Apalta terroir.

I recently sipped this wine at a tasting and was blown away, so I acquired several bottles for my cellar.  Pouring a glass, the color was a rich deep red with purple edges. The fragrant complex aromas of fresh and dried fruits, with some sweet spice notes, exhibited in my glass. The wine is a blend of Carmenère (55%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), which was aged in French oak for 12 months (70% new). The palate shows lively red fruits, mostly cherries and raspberries, little acidity, finishing long with slightly dry sweet taste. I would guess this wine would develop for another 5 years, maybe longer if the acidity was a little higher. Don’t wait, grab a few bottles and enjoy now!

Cheers!