One of the oldest vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon in Chile, if not in the world, is the origin of this story. Tucked away in the Colchagua Valley, near the town of Santa Cruz, the Apalta Valley was the place selected by a visionary in the 1910s who, using a unique French massal selection, planted this amazing vineyard. In 1994, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet discovered these hundred-year-old ungrafted Cabernet Sauvignon vines whilst visiting Apalta. La Parcelle 8, the first plot the family saw upon arriving in the Valley, was this unique vineyard that would become the beginning of Lapostolle’s Chilean chapter.
The aim of La Parcelle 8 is to bring the finest expression of a Cabernet Sauvignon from their own vineyards. La Parcelle 8 has its origins in the Clos Apalta estate in the Apalta Valley, known throughout Chile for the quality of its red wines. The region’s particular soil and climate conditions make for very elegant, complex wines with great structure, depth, color and with an excellent aging potential. La Parcelle 8 comes from a selected parcel of the Clos Apalta Estate, located in the Apalta Valley, near the town of Santa Cruz, 170 Kilometers Southwest of Santiago. The Tinguiririca river rests on the southern side, and the hills from the Coastal Cordillera surround the vineyard like a horseshoe. They are both integral in forming this unique terroir. This geography is responsible for the conditions that ensure balance for their vines and a slow ripening of the grapes. At sunrise and sunset, the Cordillera block the sun’s rays, limiting the vines’ exposure to intense sunshine, whilst the river has a cooling influence on the semi-dry Mediterranean climate.
Because Lapostolle’s mission is to express the terroir of Apalta, their winemaking process is very natural with minimal intervention. Beautiful deep red ruby color. Elegant and complex, opening towards intense fruit with herbs & spices. Classic structure with elegant tannins, flavors of fruit and black spices, and a long-lasting, velvety finish. Pairs well with red meats such as roasted lamb and braised short ribs, or complements mushrooms or a cheese plate.