Winemaker Notes
Canto de Apalta originates from Chile's central semi-arid Rapel Valley. Here, the Pacific's Humboldt Current keeps the days warm and dry, and the nights pleasantly cool, allowing the grapes to slowly ripen. Slow maturation guarantees that our wine is able to have an expressive nose and a pleasant structure. The grapes are hand-harvested and transported to the winery in temperature-controlled containers. Strict quality control continues at the winery through a state of the art optical berry selector, Vistalys, which chooses only the freshest, cleanest and purest grapes for our wine. No clarification and very light filtration create natural wines that are true expressions of their origin. Enjoy now as a perfect pairing for meats and elaborate dishes, or cellar for a few years.
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Casa Lapostolle is one of the most dynamic and influential producers of wines in Chile. Founded in 1994 in the Apalta Valley, this family business was created by the French Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet, members of the family who have been recognized for the production of wines and fine liqueurs for generations in the world. In creating Lapostolle, the family has maintained their long-term vision and commitment to quality that is being the key for their worldwide success. The Lapostolle winery is located in Cunaco, Santa Cruz, Colchagua Valley, Chile; and it produce more than 200.000 cases a year of wine sourced from its three vineyards: San José de Apalta from Colchagua Valley, where there are 37 hectares; Atalayas from Casablanca Valley, with 43 hectares; and Las Kuras from the Cachapoal Valley with 101 hectares. The main varieties produced are Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. 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 and they also found blocks of unique vineyards.
Touching the Pacific in the west and stretching up into the Andes on its eastern side, the Rapel Valley is one of the more substantial fine red wine producing regions of Chile and contains both the Colchagua Valley in its south and west and the Cachapoal in its north and east. While it is recognized for its exceptional warm-climate reds, the region does produce some fine Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc on its coastal side.
Some of the country’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the Rapel’s Andean foothills—with significant individualized smaller zones already identified. Soils here are mixtures of loam, clay, and sand; Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, and Merlot are the most prolific varieties throughout the region.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
