Winemaker Notes
The ideal companion for grilled red meat and medium seasoned dishes.
Blend: 85% Carmenere, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot and 4% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Carmenère—initially mistaken for Merlot in Chile and recently correctly identified via DNA testing—has taken a long time to find is rightful place in the world of wine grapes. While still developing its own stride as Carmenère, the grape variety has shown many recent success stories. The 2013 Lapostolle Casa Grand Selection is such an example of how far the grape has evolved. This wine shows a new world twist, but does not sacrifice the integrity of its old world characteristics—ripe red fruit, savory earth and dried leaves. Pair with lighter meat dishes and enjoy Carmenère as it joins the world of fine wine grapes. Drinks well now. (Tasted: August 18, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
Lapostolle was founded in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her 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 and embarked on their family’s next chapter 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, the 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, Lapostolle continue to craft wines that honor the winery’s credo: French in essence, Chilean by birth.
Dark, full-bodied and herbaceous with a spicy kick, Carménère found great success with its move to Chile in the mid-19th century. However, the variety went a bit undercover until 1994 when many plantings previously thought to be Merlot, were profiled as Carménère. Somm Secret— Carménère is both a progeny and a great-grandchild of the similarly flavored Cabernet Franc.
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.