Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesFresh and dusty red plums and cherries with some olives. A medium-bodied merlot with some chewy tannins and juicy red fruit with a saline smack. An easy, well-balanced merlot that still shows typicality. Drink now.
Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle (DBL) is one of Chile’s most dynamic and influential winemakers. The Lapostolle family began producing fine wine and spirits in France in 1827. In 1994, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle, sixth generation family member, and her husband Cyril de Bournet, were one of the first to see the potential of Apalta Valley’s terroirs in Chile for producing high quality red varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Merlot. In 2005, DBL’s icon wine Clos Apalta made history by becoming the first and only South American wine to date to ever be ranked #1 of the famous Top100 of Wine Spectator. Alexandra and Cyril were joined by their son, Charles de Bournet, in their simple as ambitious goal: to create world-class wines using French winemaking philosophy and the superb terroirs of Apalta. Charles has done extensive work in introducing Syrah and Rose varietals, such as Cinsault and Grenache, terroirs analysis, and sustainable practices throughout Apalta. World renowned winemaker, Michel Rolland, has been consulting at DBL since the beginning and works with Charles to produce wines that express the family’s taste and the unique terroirs of Apalta.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.