2010 Viña Neyen de Apalta Espiritu de Apalta

The 2010 Neyen shows more purity on the nose compared to the 2009, with blackberry, blueberry, flinty notes and a touch of smoke. It has fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins over a dense core of earthy, tobacco-infused black fruit. The finish shows more delineation and refinement than the 2009. There is a satisfying, sophisticated touch to this 2010. Drink 2014-2022. Neyen was founded in 2002, one of the first wineries in the Apalta. However, vines had been cultivated in their vineyard since the 19th century. Moreover, they boast some Cabernet and Carmenere cuttings taken from Bordeaux as far back as 1890. It was bought by Raul Rojas in 1970 and a gravity-transfer winery was constructed in 2002; then in 2010 the estate was acquired by Huneeus Vintners, the Napa-based company that owns Veramonte in Casablanca. The vines are dry-farmed and yields are low – under 1kg per plant. They tend not to accumulate excessive sugar during the growing season and ripeness is said to be homogenous throughout the vineyard. I conducted a mini-vertical of this wine and am pleased to report that their finest release is the current one. Importer: Huneeus Vintners, Rutherford, CA; tel. (707) 386-4785