Clos Apalta

Clos Apalta was founded in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet. The founders are members of the French family responsible for the Grand Marnier liqueur brand. They arrived in Chile with the intent to apply French winemaking expertise to a specific site within the Colchagua Valley. The estate is now managed by their son, Charles-Henri de Bournet Marnier Lapostolle, who represents the seventh generation of the family business. While it initially operated under the broader Casa Lapostolle umbrella, Clos Apalta has since been established as an independent estate and dedicated winery focusing on its own specific vineyard parcels.

The estate is situated in the Apalta Valley, a sub-region characterized by a horseshoe-shaped valley that protects the vines from extreme weather. The vineyards cover sixty hectares and are composed of granitic soils with varying amounts of clay, which encourage deep root systems. A significant portion of the vineyard consists of pre-phylloxera vines planted as early as 1915 and 1920, including Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon. The property is managed according to organic and biodynamic principles, holding certifications from Ceres and Demeter. Winemaking takes place in a six-level gravity-fed facility carved into the hillside, where grapes are hand-destemmed before fermentation in French oak vats.

The signature wine is Clos Apalta, a red blend that typically features a high proportion of Carmenere alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It gained global attention in 2008 when its 2005 vintage was named Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator. The label has also received multiple 100-point scores from critics, particularly for the 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2021 vintages. In addition to the flagship bottling, the estate produces Le Petit Clos, which serves as a second wine made from younger vines or different plot selections. The producer is recognized for its role in elevating the status of Carmenere from a blending grape to a central component of high-end Chilean wine.