We’re taking a trip across generations and continents with this one – the Clos Apalta 2019 vintage, a Chilean wine made with French sensibilities, holding a history that dates back to the 19^th century with one of France’s most distinguished spirit makers.

The Terroir of Apalta Valley’s Pre-Historic Soils

Located in the Colchagua Valley of Chile, the Apalta valley is located between the Tinguiririca River and along the Coastal Cordillera, forming a U shape with barriers on its east and west ends delays the morning sunlight and extends the vineyards’ exposure to evening sun. This unique position allows for an ideal thermal regulation as it evades the extended heat common in the warm climates of South America.

Its climate could be characterized as Mediterranean, with vines that are warmed by the sunlight and cooled by the nearby ocean breeze, drawing out its growing time and allowing the grapes to gradually ripen and develop.

The soils in the valley are extremely old. So old in fact, the soil’s origins can be traced back to the Cretaceous period over 140 million years ago. The word Apalta translates to “poor soils” in the local dialect, a reference to the low-fertility alluvial soils made up of clay, sand, and quartz granite. The low water and nutrient concentration of the alluvial soil forces the grape vines to work extra hard for the grapes to develop and ripen, resulting in higher-quality grapes are rich in flavour to produce well-structured wines full of tannins.

Apalta Valley is renowned for its production of red wines, with the valley being lush with red wine grape varietals such as Carmenére, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. The Lapostolle vineyard spans three vineyards with a variety of terroirs and grapes across the Apalta Valley.

From Grand Marnier to Clos Apalta: A Family Legacy From the 19^th Century

You could say it took a multi-generational journey from Grand Marnier in Paris to get to this Clos Apalta from the Lapostolle estate (also otherwise called Casa Lapostolle) in Chile. Casa Lapostolle was founded in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle of the Marnier family. The Marnier family is a family with almost 200 years of heritage in the business of spirits and wine, starting with the famed Grand Marnier liqueur that was introduced in 19^th century.

In the 1990s, Alexandra embarked on a journey in search for terroirs that could yield exceptional wines beyond the border of France. They came across a parcel in the Apalta Valley in Chile, probably one of the oldest vineyards in Chile yielding Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere grapes. Alexandra and her husband, Cyril de Bournet found that its soils were free of phylloxera louse – a grapevine-devouring pest that tormented vineyards across France since the 19^th century. In 1994, Alexandra and her husband purchased a vineyard in the Apalta Valley that was overlaid with a distinctive French massal selection. The story of Clos Apalta found its legs in 1997 as the wine of Chile’s Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle, embodying the terroir of the Apalta Valley with the artisanship of French wine-making. 

Today, Clos Apalta is run and managed by the seventh generation of the Marnier Lapostolle family through Alexandra and Cyril’s son, Charles de Bournet Marnier Lapostolle, who carries on his family’s 200-year history and legacy in fine wine-making.

In a reference to its provenance and philosophy, the Lapostolle winery refers to Clos Apalta as “French in essence, Chilean by birth” – which alludes to their approach to making Chilean wines with French wine-making principles.

(Image Source: Clos Apalta)

The Clos Apalta 2019 Vintage

The vintage we’ll be trying is the Clos Apalta 2019, which is a Bordeaux blend of 70% Carmenere, 18% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 4% Petit Verdot, aged for 24 months in French oak barrels.  The grapes from this wine came from the vineyard’s harvest between the months of March to May 2019, and lucky for the geeks among us, Clos Apalta shares great detail about the climate conditions of their particular vintages.

Domaines Bournet Lapostolle, Clos Apalta 2019

Tasting Notes

Colour: Ruby

Aroma: Bright confectionary notes of cherry hard candy, cherry frosting, and cherry fondant - it’s big and entirely fragrant. There’s more on hawthorn candy, red liquorice, cherry bubble gum too. In the back there’s blueberry jams, some chewiness of liquorice and a light spice of cardamom.

Taste: More of that cherry pop in the form of frosting, candy and jam. It’s bright and confectionary in the best way possible. More on strawberry jams, it’s rich and velvety, with a fuller flavour, medium bodied.

Finish: Clean finish, light hits of strawberry jam and cherry liquorice.

My Thoughts

This was incredibly attention grabbing with those super vibrant and high saturation red confectionary candy notes of cherries and strawberries. Yet it has a roundedness and fullness to it that steers it clear of being cloying, thin or artificial. This has some spectacular flavours that are well-expressed and incredibly aromatic and also tasty. If it had just a bit more richness and body, it would be perfect.

Till next time, happy sipping!

@ChopstickPride