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Clos Apalta and Klein Constantia lead early Hors Bordeaux releases

06 September 2023 By Arabella Mileham

The hors Bordeaux campaign on La Place is gathering steam with the release of Hermitage La Chapelle, Clos Apalta, Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance 2020 and library release of Californian giant, Opus One.

Hermitage La Chapelle 2021 (which was previously known as Paul Jaboulet Aîné’s Hermitage La Chapelle) was released internationally on Thursday 31 August for £2,268 per case of 12, the first wines from Hermitage to be offered through La Place. This markets a rise of 56.2% on the 2020 vintage, according to Liv-ex, making it the most expensive vintage in over ten years. Db’s Colin Hay’s (whose tasting notes on the release can be found here) awarded it 97 points and described it as “long and supremely elegant” and a wine that “continues the succession of recent greatness from La Chapelle”.

Along with the 2021 harvest, the 2013, 2011, and 2006 vintages were re-released, each priced at £149 per bottle (the equivalent to £1,788 per case of 12, Liv-ex said. ).

Yesterday (5 September) saw the release of Clos Apalta 2020 from Chile’s Casa Lapostolle, which saw a 5.3% rise in price to £948 per case of 12, according to Liv-ex. db’s Colin Hay called it “really excellent”, and awarded it 97 points, noting that it was “the most intensely aromatically floral” wine of the September releases he had tasted. However, Liv-ex argued that both the 2018 and 2019 vintages were available at a lower price, and that the 2010 and 2012 offered fairer market value than the latest release. Clos Apalta’s stablemate Le Petit Clos 2020 was also released at £324 per case of 12.

South Africa’s Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance 2020 also hit the market yesterday, being released at £564 per case of 12 (50cl), a 4% raise on last year’s price. Hay called it “wonderfully pure, clean, bright and fresh”, with “impressive density, concentration and viscosity”, with Jane Anson noted that that she ‘always looks forward to tasting this wine, “and it never seems to disappoint”. Liv-ex however

Meanwhile Napa Valley’s Opus One has rereleased its 2018 and 2019 vintages, after taking the decision not to release the 2020 wine due to the wildfires that ravaged the region during 2020. The 2018 has been released at €270 per bottle ex-négociant, being available internationally at £3,300 per case, which Liv-ex notes is 19.6% above its original international release price but only 3.8% above its current Market Price. The 2019 however, has been rereleased a fraction under its current market value, at €265 per bottle ex-négociant, or internationally at £3,192 per case, while its current Market Price, according to Liv-ex, hovers around £3,200 per case of 12. This is up on the original September 2022 release of the wine at £3,024 per 12.

The famed US winery also released its second wine, a mult-vintage blend, Overture, which is being offered internationally for £1,320 per 12.

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