Clos du Lican,
The magical rocks.

“There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones;
it all depends on how you use them.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

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 red wines. The region’s particular terroir makes for very elegant, complex wines with great structure, depth, color and an excellent ageing potential.

Omnipresent along the roads and in the landscape, rocks play a vital role in the development of the vineyard.
They are the silent witness of our past, present and future.

This vineyard brings us way back in time where you can feel Mother Nature’s energy and wisdom.
A place where soil, climate, aspect and altitude encounter with human’s pugnacity, resilience and inexhaustible confidence in the future. It draws attention to the importance of the past, traditions passed down from generation to generation,
and culture. This can only bring us to reflection, admiration and pure joy.

1994

Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle was founded by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet.

The Bournet Lapostolle family has been dedicated to the production of high-end wines and spirits since 1827.

1997

Clos Apalta’s first vintage opening the doors to exploring the valley’s extraordinary potential to produce Grand Cru.

2004

Clos du Lican vineyard was established by the 6th generation of the Marnier Lapostolle family, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet, only 5km away from the Clos Apalta vineyard.

2022

Release of the Clos du Lican 2019, first vintage produced.

1997
2004
2022

The soul
of Clos du Lican

Clos du Lican is part of the family owned and world-renowned Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle portfolio.

The Clos du Lican project was initiated in 2004 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet when they started breaking ground for another vineyard in Apalta, only 5 kilometers away from Clos Apalta, to plant 15ha of Syrah to produce a 100% single vineyard wine.

Mr Jacques Marnier Lapostolle, Alexandra’s father, personally came to Chile in June 2006 to have a better understanding of the project’s reach and scope while he said it would take a miracle to pull this project off.

The Clos du Lican 2019, first vintage ever produced was launched by Charles de Bournet, 7th generation of the Marnier Lapostolle family in March 2022 who is now leading Domaines Bournet-Lapostolle in its newest chapter of innovation, punctuated by the official recognition of the Apalta DO in 2018.

Clos du Lican is the achievement of 3 generations of passion, hard work and dedication.

“What is exciting to be part of a family business and going through the generations is that you’re part of something greater than yourself and it’s very humbling. You are only as good as the previous generations and what you’re doing right now is harvesting the fruit of their efforts that were done before you, but also setting the foundations for the future successors”. Charles de Bournet

I
The
Rocks

The land was originally covered with huge granite stones. Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril the Bournet felt instantly under the spell of this magical site; carried by their vision, they started a gigantic work to shape the vineyard foot by foot. As Cathedral builders would have done a thousand years ago, they lifted those rocks and moved them around to create this sacred land of vine.

Apalta has incredibly old soils which originated mainly in the Cretaceous (145-66 MY) from granitic and granodioritic material. On the hillside, the soils present angular stones, well decomposed with moderate to fine texture and clay underlying subsoils. On the semi and flatter areas, colluvial and some old alluvial material, with a thicker texture (sandy to sandy loam) and quartz gravel in the whole profile. The overall vineyard benefits from a good drainage with slopes of 2 to 15%.

Clos du Lican brings together a multitude of micro-terroirs presenting an almost complete sample of the local rock make-up.

With a range of 150 to 300 m height, the vineyard offers incredible complexity potential cementing the uniqueness of our wine.

II
The Living
Terroir

As the terroir is a living matter, Clos du Lican has opened up to organics in the gentlest possible way.

From then on, helping to preserve the natural and pure feel of the different terroirs became an absolute priority. The vineyard receives the best care possible.

“Our organic vision is to protect not only the purity of the fruit in our wines, but also the purity of our environment and the people who work in our vineyards. Inspired by our experience in biodynamic vineyard management, we allow the terroir and wines to truly work in harmony with each other. The area becomes self-sufficient: soil, plants, people and wildlife interact in a closed and autonomous system”.

Charles-Henri de Bournet,
President and CEO

III
The
Artisans

It is unconceivable to elude the human contribution when it comes to Terroir. The transmission of what can sometimes be ancestral practices and traditions, passed on from generation to generation, plays a key role in the fashioning process of a unique Terroir. Winemaking is innately an activity led by people, where at every single stage of the making, choices must be made while facing a multitude of possibilities.

« Our project is in the hands of an amazing group of people who only thrive while crafting wines with
passion. Each individual involved in this adventure brings its own personal touch. Producing wine involves constant and truthful efforts: you must use your heart, your head and your hands. We source inspiration from Nature and our craving for genuineness. In this human history of wine, vines are organic material constantly pushing us forward in our pursuit of perfection. »

Andrea Leon,
Winemaker

In the vineyards, an intensive work over the season is key to have the best quality grapes we can possibly have get to our wines: we can mention soil management, afternoon sun leaf removal, several green harvests to finish with night hand harvesting to preserve the integrity and aromas of the grapes that arrive nicely chilled at sunrise to the wineries.

As a general winemaking philosophy, we look for elegance, balance and ageing potential. Our winemaking philosophy remains a very natural process with minimal intervention, no corrections of any kind, wild yeasts fermentation, gentle extraction and a minimum filtration.

Clos du Lican

Vintage 2019 - 3524 bottles
Vintage 2020 - 4543 bottles

“Intense and heady nose of black fruit, black truffles, peppered meat, mahogany, mocha and grilled herbs. Some burnt caramel, too. It’s full-bodied with a rich, plush and creamy palate. So much to offer. Velvety, polished tannins. Hot chocolate marries savory meat. Delicious finish. Big and generous. A new and exciting single-vineyard 100% syrah. Drink or hold.”

“All Syrah that spent 23 months in new barrels, the 2019 Clos Du Lican is a gorgeous effort that bring solid depth and richness, yet it’s the purity and finesse, as well as the quality of the tannins, that really set it apart. Revealing a deeper ruby/purple hue as well as lots of blackberry and mulberry fruits, it has perfectly integrated oak, medium to full body, silky tannins, and just a complex, incredibly impressive bouquet of peppery herbs, sandalwood, violets, and baking spices. Despite solid levels of ripeness (the alcohol is over 15%), it has a terrific sense of freshness, and again, the purity and balance are something to behold. This gorgeous Syrah will evolve for 15+ years.”

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Wild herbs with a grilled tarragon note, white pepper and violets to the blue fruit and black cherries. A hint of iodine and seaweed. Concentrated and really refined on the palate with super polished tannins. Ultra-long, fresh and ethereal finish. The fine oak touch highlights the purity of the blue fruit. More dialled-back and elegant than 2019. 100% syrah from Clos du Lican vineyard. 4543 bottles filled. Drink from 2025.

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Address : Ruta 90 km 36 Cunaquito,
VI Región, Chile.

Office : Monday – Friday
8.00am – 5.30pm
Boutique : Monday – Sunday
9.30am – 5.30pm

Phone : +56722953300
Email : info@closdulican.com

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