Casa Lapostolle

Casa Lapostolle was founded in 1994 when Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet discovered an extraordinary enclosed vineyard in the Apalta Valley of Colchagua, sheltering ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines dating to around 1915. Alexandra is the great-granddaughter of Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle, early founder of the Grand Marnier company, whose family also owns Château de Sancerre in the Loire Valley, giving the project deep roots in both French spirits and wine. Their guiding principle, 'French in essence, Chilean by birth,' reflected an ambition to apply European winemaking precision to Chile's exceptional natural terroir. The first Cuvée Alexandre wines were released in 1994, followed by the estate's flagship, Clos Apalta, in 1997. The Marnier Lapostolle family controlled Grand Marnier until Campari acquired the brand in 2016, after which the Chilean wine estates continued under the family name Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle.

• Founded 1994 upon discovery of pre-phylloxera vines in the Apalta Valley; first Clos Apalta vintage released 1997
• Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle is great-granddaughter of Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle, co-founder of Grand Marnier; family heritage in French wine and spirits dates to 1827
• Apalta DO officially recognized in 2018, validating the estate's long-held belief in the valley's distinct terroir
• Today led by Charles de Bournet (seventh generation, CEO) and winemaker Andrea León, with Michel Rolland as consulting oenologist since 1993

Casa Lapostolle demonstrated that Chilean terroir could produce wines capable of matching the world's finest, at a time when Chile was still widely regarded as a source of value-driven commodity wine. Clos Apalta's 2005 vintage was named Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 2008, and the wine has appeared three times in the top three of that magazine's annual Top 100 list. James Suckling has awarded 100 points to the 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2021 vintages. The estate also elevated Carménère's status as a world-class variety in its own right, and the recognition of the Apalta DO in 2018 owed much to the attention Lapostolle brought to this distinctive microclimate. The winery's early adoption of biodynamic and organic farming at scale set a sustainability benchmark for Chilean viticulture.

• Clos Apalta 2005 was Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year in 2008; the only wine to appear three times in the top three of that magazine's Top 100
• James Suckling awarded 100 points to the 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2021 vintages of Clos Apalta
• Credited with proving Carménère's potential as a world-class variety and helping establish the Apalta DO, recognized in 2018
• Biodynamic and organic certification across a large estate set an early sustainability standard for premium Chilean winemaking

The Apalta Valley sits within a horseshoe-shaped projection of the Coastal Cordillera, roughly 170 kilometers southwest of Santiago inside the broader Colchagua Valley. The surrounding hills shelter the vines from extreme Pacific and Andean influences, create afternoon shade that extends the growing season, and deliver two fewer hours of direct sunlight per day compared to the surrounding valley floor. The Tinguiririca River runs along the valley's southern edge, providing natural drainage and moderating temperatures. Soils are predominantly granitic and granodioritic, imparting mineral complexity and contributing to fine tannin structure. The estate vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic under Demeter, with old vines dry-farmed and hand-harvested. The Casablanca holding, with 57 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, benefits from cool maritime influence from the nearby Pacific, while the 116-hectare Cachapoal property focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah.

• Apalta Valley: horseshoe terrain from the Coastal Cordillera shelters vines; two fewer daily sunlight hours than surrounding Colchagua floor, enabling slow, even ripening
• Granitic and granodioritic soils in Apalta; Tinguiririca River provides drainage and natural temperature moderation on the valley's southern edge
• Original Clos vines planted around 1915 using French massal selections; ungrafted, dry-farmed, and certified biodynamic under Demeter
• Three distinct vineyard zones: 57 ha Casablanca (cool coastal whites and Pinot Noir), 116 ha Cachapoal (Cabernet-focused reds and whites), and the Apalta estate (flagship Carménère blends)

Clos Apalta is a Carménère-dominant Bordeaux-style blend from the estate's oldest vines in the Apalta Valley. Its assemblage varies by vintage, with the 2017 comprising 48% Carménère, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, while the 2021 was 75% Carménère with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Fermentation uses indigenous yeasts over four to five weeks of maceration, primarily in large French oak vats, followed by malolactic fermentation and extended élevage of 24 to 27 months in new French oak barriques, typically 85% new. A second wine, Le Petit Clos, was introduced with the 2014 vintage from younger vines. The Cuvée Alexandre range, named for the family's ancestor Alexandre Marnier who created Grand Marnier in 1880, is produced entirely from Apalta estate fruit and spans Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. The entry-level Casa Grand Selection tier draws on fruit from all three estates.

• Clos Apalta 2005: Wine Spectator Wine of the Year 2008; 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2021 all earned 100 points from James Suckling
• 2017 blend: 48% Carménère, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot; fermented with indigenous yeasts, 4-5 weeks maceration, 27 months in 85% new French oak
• Le Petit Clos, the second wine of Clos Apalta, introduced with the 2014 vintage; sourced from younger vines in different proportions
• Cuvée Alexandre named to honor Alexandre Marnier; produced exclusively from Apalta estate fruit across Carménère, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay

Clos Apalta shows a deep, saturated purple-red color with violet edges. On the nose, expect graphite, black olives, cassis, dried herbs, dark cherry, spice, and a characteristic Carménère note of paprika and green herbs when young. With age, the wine develops cedar, leather, and earthy complexity. The palate is full-bodied with abundant but fine-grained tannins, bright acidity relative to the alcohol (regularly 15% ABV), and a long, mineral-driven finish. The biodynamic farming and minimal-intervention winemaking yield a precision and textural lift uncommon in warmer-climate reds. Cuvée Alexandre Carménère shows a more accessible profile with dark cherry, tobacco, pepper, and graphite on the nose and juicy, medium-full body. Wines from the Casablanca estate display cool-climate freshness with citrus and saline mineral character.

• Clos Apalta: deep purple-red; graphite, black olives, cassis, paprika, dried herbs, and dark cherry; full body, fine-grained tannins, bright acidity despite 15% ABV
• Carménère signature: spice (paprika, pepper), herbal notes, and dark fruit; at Apalta's slow-ripening elevations, green vegetal notes are minimal in ripe vintages
• Minimal-intervention winemaking, indigenous yeast fermentation, and dry farming contribute a precision and mineral tension unusual for a warm-climate Colchagua red
• Clos Apalta built for long aging; 15-20+ year cellar potential in top vintages, with textural integration improving markedly after 5-8 years

Casa Lapostolle's Clos Apalta winery, completed in 2004 and designed by Chilean architect Roberto Benavente Riquelme, is a six-level gravity-fed structure built into the granite hillside of the Apalta Valley, with four levels underground for natural thermal stability. The 24 external beams on the winery's facade represent the 24 months required to produce Clos Apalta. Every stage of production, from sorting to bottling, relies on gravity rather than pumps, minimizing mechanical stress on the wine. The estate vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic under Demeter, with fruit hand-harvested in small 14-kilogram cases. The estate protects hundreds of hectares of native Chilean flora, composts grape skins and stalks, uses natural water treatment processes, and minimizes filtration and chill stabilization. Lapostolle received the Wines of Chile Sustainability certification in 2022.

• Gravity-fed Clos Apalta winery completed 2004; six levels, four underground in granite; designed by Roberto Benavente Riquelme with 24 facade beams representing 24 months of aging
• Demeter-certified biodynamic farming across estate vineyards; old vines dry-farmed; 100% hand harvesting in 14 kg cases with optical sorting
• Wines of Chile Sustainability certification 2022; native flora conservation, composting, natural water treatment, and minimal filtration
• Charles de Bournet (seventh generation) and winemaker Andrea León lead current operations, continuing the estate's commitment to biodynamic viticulture and terroir-driven winemaking