Lapostolle

Brand Description

Lapostolle was founded in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and husband Cyril de Bournet upon their discovery of a unique Clos in the Apalta Valley sheltering 100 year-old pre-phylloxera vines. They quickly realized its potential for producing world-class wines.

The Marnier-Lapostolle family has been recognized for fine wines and liqueurs since the early 19th century. In establishing her family’s legacy in the New World, Alexandra brought generations of French winemaking tradition and expertise to the rugged landscape of the Colchagua Valley.

Today Charles de Bournet, seventh generation, leads the winery in its newest chapter of innovation, punctuated by the official recognition of the Apalta DO in 2018. Together with Andrea León, Technical Director & Winemaker, they continue to craft wines that honor the winery credo: French in essence, Chilean by birth.

Location of Vineyard

The Lapostolle winery is located in Cunaco, Santa Cruz in the Colchagua Valley, but the heart of Lapostolle is a mere 7 km away in El Condor de Apalta, site of the famous Clos. Here, in a horseshoe-shaped valley with decomposing granite slopes formed by the Coastal Cordillera, are the ancient blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere planted between 1910-1945. The vineyard’s south-facing exposure shelters vines from the intense afternoon sun, allowing for a longer maturation producing wines of elegance, balance, concentration and excellent natural acidity.

Today, the vineyards span 188 hectares planted to Cabernet, Carmenere, Merlot, and Petit Verdot along with Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Cinsault between the two Apalta vineyard sites.

Winemaking Philosophy

At Lapostolle, the goal is as simple as it is ambitious: to create world-class wines using French winemaking philosophy and the superb terroirs of Chile. The founders chose Apalta in the Colchagua Valley, because weather and geographical conditions are perfect for producing high quality red wines. Today, the winery is in transition from a biodynamic regime to a more expansive sustainability protocol defined under the Wines of Chile certification standards, expected to be complete in 2022.

Link to Clos Apalta Winery Info

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“This has a polished nose of black olives, oyster shells, thyme, salted chocolate, graphite, black fruit and cassis. Some orange zest, too. It’s so well structured, with firm, tight and chewy tannins and bright acidity. Full body. Yet elegant, too. Long. 100% cabernet sauvignon from 100 year old ungrafted vines.”
— acclaim for 2018 Lapostolle la Parcelle 8 from James Suckling, May 2022

“Sweet blackberries, brambleberries and cigar tobacco with fresh flowers. Some cedar and mahogany, too. Full bodied with chewy tannins and chocolate, walnut and lightly toasted flavors. It’s just starting to come around. First commercially released wine from old-vine cabernet sauvignon, grown on its own rootstock with the vast majority from 1910. Originally it was just for the owners to drink. Fantastic.”
— acclaim for 2015 Lapostolle la Parcelle 8 from James Suckling, Feb 2022

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