Deep ruby color; black cherry, blackberry, violets on the nose; black cherry, plum, blackcurrant, bramble-blackberry, chocolate, oak notes on the palate.
Dry; graphite-laced tannins; soft, balancing acidity (3.60 pH). Full body, rich dark fruit flavors. Blend of 87% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot. Maceration for 28 days. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks; 100% of blend aged 15 months in 60-gallon French oak; 20% new, 80% second and third use. Some tanginess and attitude on extended finish. 14.5% ABV
Vintage 2020 was a challenge. Drought in winter. High temperatures and early bud break in spring, followed by frost. Covid-19 distractions. Heat fluctuations in summer, requiring expert canopy management and judicious irrigation. The plus of heat fluctuations was very little disease pressure and balance of ripeness and acidity. The harvest was the earliest on record and required parcel-by-parcel selections from February through April. The result was a concentrated, dark fruit vintage.
Lapostolle has some of the oldest vineyards of cabernet sauvignon in Chile, and probably the world. The winery is located in the Colchagua Valley, near the town of Santa Cruz. The vineyard was planted more than a century ago using unique massal selections.
Alexandra Marnier Lapostole and her husband Cyril de Bournet acquired the propery in 1994. Wine Enthusiast named Lapostolle “New World Winery of the Year” in 2008. It is one of Chile’s premier wineries. Today, the operation is led by the son of the founders and seventh generation of the Bournet-Lapostolle family, Charles de Bournet.
Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 is fulsome with brooding, dark fruits and ripe flavors. Amenable tannin and decorous acidity make for balanced welcome into the heady world of dark fruit, hefty cabs. This tends to be a driven by its dark fruit profile without significant complexity or depth, but is well-priced value for what it is. No one has to blush or apologize when they pull cork, especially as part of a lusty repast. Pair with hearty beef dishes; lamb; wild game—venison, boar; barbecue chicken and other poultry with assertive sauces/rubs. Cheese—creamy and bloomy cheese; bleu cheese, humbolt fog, brie, camembert, sharp cheddar, ricotta, gorgonzola, gouda, cheddar—harder, aged cheeses. $22-25
