Cote de Madame, the hidden gem of Clos du Lican.
Clos du Lican is our hidden gem vineyard in the Apalta Valley, specifically in the San Jose area. Recognized as an official DO since May 2018, the Apalta Valley is known throughout Chile for the superb quality of its wines. The region's particular terroir makes for very elegant, complex wines with great structure, depth, color and an excellent ageing potential.The Clos du Lican vineyard was bought in 2004 by AlexandraMarnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet, only5km away from Clos Apalta. The vineyard is a 3km strip withan eastern exposure, going uphill from 245 to 443 meters a.s.land surrounded by the mountains. It is planted mainly withSyrah, but also with Viognier, Mourvedre and Grenache.The land was originally covered with huge granite stones. Carried by their vision, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and Cyrilde Bournet started a gigantic work to shape the vineyard footby foot. As Cathedral builders would have done a thousandyears ago, they lifted those rocks and moved them around tocreate this sacred land of vine. Mr Jacques Marnier Lapostolle, Alexandra’s father, personallycame to Chile to have a better understanding of the project’sreach and scope while he said it would take a miracle to pullthis project off.
We present Cote de Madame, a wine inspired by the vision anddetermination of Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle. Thanks to herpassion and commitment, this vineyard has taken shape andbecome a reality. This wine reflects her influence, how hervision continues to guide every step of this project and steerthe direction of what we do.Currently, the team behind the creation of Côte de Madame isled by the founders’ son, seventh generation of the BournetLapostolle family, Charles de Bournet.
The 2024 vintage:
The 2024 vintage is considered a fresh and wet season, for its moderate temperatures all over the growing period and a very important amount of rain concentrated mainly during the winter (June to August). We had an historical amount of rain, with 1.008 mm from June to August, that is 70% more than the historical. All over the season, we had higher lower temperatures (+54%), with a winter with higher minima and maxima, so the bud break was early and so the flowering, for about 10 days. The springtime was also wet, with a wider thermal amplitude and a moderate raise in maximum temperatures and many overcast days (-5% average sunlight). No frost or heat waves where recorded. The summer brought moderate maxima and higher minima with normal sunlight. The fruit set and veraison where quite uneven and delayed between 5 to 12 days. These conditions brought some fungi disease pressure, so canopy management and controlling the growth was key to keep balance in the vineyard. The fall was fortunately dry until late April and cold. Under these significant cooler conditions, the heat summation was 23 % lower than the past nine vintages which was at the end a positive factor. We had a slow pace of evolution in general, so we had to monitor very carefully the different blocks of our vineyards and wait patiently for the maturity. It was a slow vintage with a very wide window for picking. The harvest was finally delayed for about 10 to 20 days depending on the variety. We did a very detailed selection and many passes, harvesting almost row by row. The yields ended being on the lower side, not surprisingly after the uneven conditions (about 10% lower yields). Considering the challenges we faced, the wines show great deep color, with elegant tannins and juicy texture. Relatively moderate alcohols levels, remarkable acidity, expressive nose and an elegant structure reflect the conditions of the vintage.
Tasting notes
COLOR: Bright yellow with light golden green hues.
NOSE: Aromatic and expressive nose with sublte notes of fresh stone fruit, citrus and subtle spices.
PALATE: Fresh and balanced palate, with lively acidity and well constructed texture. Very long in the finish.