Clos Apalta
It is rare for a place to be able to captivate a person so immediately and with such force. It was 1994. After months of research, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband, Cyril de Bournet, discovered the Apalta Valley. A fine, golden light embraced the vineyard whilst hundred-year-old vines stood, intertwining majestically. Harmony had taken residence here. Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle knew that Clos Apalta could encapsulate the joyful essence of this breathtaking landscape.
“My mother, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, always dreamt of crafting the perfect wine. She spent years in search of an exceptional terroir to create a unique wine which would come to take its place as one of the best in the world. Having crossed several continents, she found the picture-perfect location of the Apalta Valley.” ~ Charles-Henri de Bournet
In its short history, Clos Apalta wines have consistently ranked highly among reputable wine trade publications, a testament to the rigorous standards implemented at the winery to produce outstanding wines. In the last 30 years, Clos Apalta has been the only wine in the world to appear three times in the top three spots of the Wine Spectator Top 100.
Location of Vineyard
The Apalta DO lies within a projection of the Coastal Cordillera, a small mountain range of decomposed granite between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean within the Colchagua Valley.
The family’s estate – the ‘Clos’ – is protected by a horseshoe-shaped mountain that shelters vines from the extreme influences of the Andes and Pacific. The hills provide relief from the afternoon sun in summer, creating slightly cooler conditions than the rest of the valley. Below, the Tinguiririca River cuts along the valley, providing natural drainage for winter rains. Here, conditions are perfect for elegant, complex wines with great structure, depth, color, and aging potential.
The health of soil, native vegetation, and local animal life is paramount. The estate vineyards are tended according to Organic and Biodynamic practices, the old vines are dry farmed, and the fruit is harvested by hand.
Winemaking and Viticulture Philosophy
The revolutionary six-story Clos Apalta winery is built into the granite hillside of ‘The Clos’ in the proportions of the Golden Ratio, representing perfect natural equilibrium. In this way, the winery itself is an element of their minimal-intervention winemaking philosophy: hand harvesting, gentle extraction, wild yeast fermentation, no fining, and no filtration.
ESG Practices
Brand Materials
Winery Profile
Clos Apalta
It is rare for a place to be able to captivate a person so immediately and with such force. It was 1994. After months of research, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband, Cyril de Bournet, discovered the Apalta Valley. A fine, golden light embraced the vineyard whilst hundred-year-old vines stood, intertwining majestically. Harmony had taken residence here. Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle knew that Clos Apalta could encapsulate the joyful essence of this breathtaking landscape.
“My mother, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, always dreamt of crafting the perfect wine. She spent years in search of an exceptional terroir to create a unique wine which would come to take its place as one of the best in the world. Having crossed several continents, she found the picture-perfect location of the Apalta Valley.” ~ Charles-Henri de Bournet
In its short history, Clos Apalta wines have consistently ranked highly among reputable wine trade publications, a testament to the rigorous standards implemented at the winery to produce outstanding wines. In the last 30 years, Clos Apalta has been the only wine in the world to appear three times in the top three spots of the Wine Spectator Top 100.
Location of Vineyard
The Apalta DO lies within a projection of the Coastal Cordillera, a small mountain range of decomposed granite between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean within the Colchagua Valley.
The family’s estate – the ‘Clos’ – is protected by a horseshoe-shaped mountain that shelters vines from the extreme influences of the Andes and Pacific. The hills provide relief from the afternoon sun in summer, creating slightly cooler conditions than the rest of the valley. Below, the Tinguiririca River cuts along the valley, providing natural drainage for winter rains. Here, conditions are perfect for elegant, complex wines with great structure, depth, color, and aging potential.
The health of soil, native vegetation, and local animal life is paramount. The estate vineyards are tended according to Organic and Biodynamic practices, the old vines are dry farmed, and the fruit is harvested by hand.
Winemaking and Viticulture Philosophy
The revolutionary six-story Clos Apalta winery is built into the granite hillside of ‘The Clos’ in the proportions of the Golden Ratio, representing perfect natural equilibrium. In this way, the winery itself is an element of their minimal-intervention winemaking philosophy: hand harvesting, gentle extraction, wild yeast fermentation, no fining, and no filtration.
