Lapostolle, Reserve Merlot, Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile 2019

Restrained and shy on the nose, but the palate brings black plums amid a ferrous, bloody character. Quite a nice refreshing quality. There's spice, juicy black plum and cherry fruit and some fresh acidity. Not super complex, perhaps it needs a bit of time.

Smooth, ripe and velvety, this impeccable Chilean red has the unmistakable polished stamp of consultant Michel Rolland. 45% of the wine is aged in French oak for five months, the remaining 55% in stainless steel, adding a balance of freshness to the lush sweetness of the fruit. Quintessentially Chilean, it should have no problem with a turkey dinner. Good with beef Wellington, too.