Clos Apalta

Born from the passion and vision of Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, heiress to the famous Grand Marnier dynasty, and her husband Cyril de Bournet, this estate embodies the perfect alliance between French tradition and Chilean terroir. Since 1994, Clos Apalta has established itself as a symbol of excellence, producing complex, balanced, and timeless wines that are recognized among the best in the world.

The history of Clos Apalta has its roots in French winemaking tradition. In 1827, Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle founded a fruit liqueur distillery in Neauphle-le-Château, near Versailles. Later, his descendant, Louis-Alexandre Marnier Lapostolle, created the famous Grand Marnier, an iconic liqueur combining cognac and bitter oranges.

In 1994, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, the founder's great-granddaughter, and her husband Cyril de Bournet decided to venture to Chile in search of an exceptional terroir to create a unique wine. Their quest led them to the Apalta Valley, a magical place where golden light envelops the century-old vines and where the harmony between nature and culture seems obvious.

Upon their arrival, Alexandra and Cyril understood the exceptional potential of this terroir. They acquired 60 hectares of vines, some of which were planted between 1915 and 1920, and embarked on an ambitious wine-making adventure. Their goal: to create a wine that would rival the world's greatest vintages.

Today, Charles-Henri de Bournet Marnier Lapostolle, Alexandra's son, continues this quest for excellence. Alongside Jacques Begarie, technical director, and renowned oenologist Michel Rolland, he ensures that each vintage of Clos Apalta reflects the purity, complexity, and authenticity of its terroir.

The Apalta Valley enjoys a semi-Mediterranean microclimate, characterized by rainy winters and long, dry summers. This climate, combined with a marked temperature range, promotes optimal ripening of the grapes, while preserving their natural acidity and aromatic concentration.

The vineyard, laid out in an amphitheater, is mainly south-east facing, a rare orientation in Chile that limits direct sunlight and protects the vines from extreme heat. The soils, of granitic and clayey origin, are poor and well-drained, forcing the vines to draw their nutrients from deep down, which gives the grapes a unique intensity and complexity.

Clos Apalta is a composite terroir, offering a diversity of soils and altitudes (between 150 and 300 meters). This mosaic allows for nuanced and expressive wines, where each plot brings its own aromatic signature. The vines, some of which are over 100 years old, have been cultivated using organic and biodynamic methods since 2009, ensuring absolute respect for the environment and biodiversity.

In the 2000s, Clos Apalta committed to a biodynamic approach, convinced that this method preserves the pure expression of the terroir. The estate is now certified organic, and all cultivation practices are aimed at improving the health of the soil and vines.

Practices that respect nature

• Soil cultivation: plowing and composting to promote deep rooting of the vines.
• Biodynamic preparations: use of energized herbal teas and composts, applied according to the lunar calendar.
• Recycling of plant residues: around 700 tons of grape skins and stems are composted each year to enrich the soil.
• Protection of biodiversity: 1,000 acres of native vegetation are preserved to promote local flora and fauna.

For Clos Apalta, the quality of the wine begins in the vineyard. As Jacques Begarie points out: *"If the grapes don't taste good in the vineyard, there will be no miracle in the cellar."* This philosophy guides every decision, from pruning the vines to harvesting by hand, while respecting natural cycles.

The Clos Apalta winery is an architectural masterpiece, entirely buried in the rock on seven levels (35 meters deep). Designed by Chilean architect Roberto Benavente Riquelme, it blends harmoniously into the landscape, revealing only a cylindrical glass roof reminiscent of the staves of a barrel.

Inspired by Burgundian monasteries, the winery uses gravity to move the wine, avoiding any unnecessary pumping or mechanization. The grapes, harvested by hand, flow naturally from the fermentation tanks to the barrels, then to the wine cellar, where the bottles age between blocks of granite.

The cellar is equipped with 21 75-hectoliter vats, allowing for precise parcel-by-parcel vinification. Each grape variety and terroir is vinified separately in order to preserve its unique identity before the final blend.