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Down another level, Andrea keyed in a code on the security panel and opened the door to the second year barrel room. The elliptical room was sparsely lit around the perimeter of the room by tiny points of bluish-hued halogen lights that gave the cool cellar a futuristic feel. In the center of the room, a large black sarcophagus rose three feet from the floor. With a whisper of hydraulics, Andrea lifted the heavy black glass lid and a lighted staircase guided us into the winery’s private cellar. We floated down the stairs to a modern wine cellar with glass floors. Neatly arranged in the wine racks were past vintages of Clos Apalta, with their distinctive blue capsules. However, since there are less than 10 vintages of Clos Apalta, the rest of the wine racks were temporarily filled with Cuvée Alexandre and the top wines of their Colchagua neighbors. Soon, all the bottles in the winery’s private cellar will have blue capsules. On the far side of the cellar was the same rock wall that they blasted to construct the winery. Some well water dripped onto the rocks – it was the winery’s seemingly low-tech system to maintain the humidity level of the wine cellar, but we knew that the temperature and humidity were both computer monitored. Like the winery itself, wine cellar was a perfect blend of old and new, natural yet thoroughly modern.

Reluctant to leave the wine cellar, we followed Andrea up the circular staircase to the top of the winery where she continued the tour. From the rooftop, we enjoyed the beautiful vista of vines stretching to the mountains in the horizon. On top of the winery was a large sundial, with markers indicating the different stages of the grapevine’s cycle. To our right was a kitchen, complete with an herb garden, and a large, elegant living room where the winery entertained special guests. These special guests could also stay in the private bungalows situated nearby. The complex looked more like a celebrity hideaway than a work facility. When we return to Chile, this is where we would like to stay – for a month or two.

The Wines

We returned to the old winery where the Cuvée Alexandre and Classic lines will continue to be produced and stored, and entered their wine tasting room which, of course, was perfectly elegant and modern. We started the tasting with the Casa Lapostolle, Rapel Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2005. The wine is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon, and made in a ripe, Californian-style, with lush flavors of citrus, melons and peaches and a distinctive floral nose apparent from the Semillon. Although it was summer, the first thing I noticed was that the wine was served exceedingly cold. The winery recommends serving the wine at a colder temperature, perhaps to mask the 14.2% alcohol. The Marnier Lapostolle family also own Château de Sancerre in the Loire Valley, so they definitely know Sauvignon Blanc. Apparently, the area where they source the grapes for their Sauvignon Blanc is a warm region where it is difficult to produce the greener style of Sauvignon Blanc a la New Zealand. Ever resourceful, Casa Lapostolle added Semillon to create a unique wine to suit the style of the fruit from the region. Served cold, the wine is simple, crisp and refreshing. Grade: B.

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