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Orange liqueur and business sense serves the Grand - 2007/05/09 13:39
Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle is one of those people that can't help but roll up her sleeves and get dirty. She is also the heiress to the Grand Marnier fortune and owner of Casa Lapostolle in Chile. I caught up with Ms. Marnier at Denver's Vesta Dipping Grill, on a recent visit. Marnier's creation, Casa Lapostolle, is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Ms. Marnier not only enjoys the rewards of owning a thriving wine estate, but she can also stake a major claim in its success.
Her grandfather founded Grand Marnier, but the family also owns Château Sancerre. She attributes Casa Lapostolle's success to her Grand Marnier legacy, "being surrounded by the concept of blending" and to the lessons learned in the vineyards of France's Loire Valley at Château Sancerre.
Her home is in Switzerland, but she flies to Chile frequently. She enjoys tending to the hands on tasks like pruning and crush. One of her favorite events is veraison, the magical process in which the grapes turn from green to gold, red, or purple. She spoke of the "dynamics of the soils," and how "you can't have a recipe." She laughed about wearing rubber boots and being chased by bees.
She told me that "things really started to come together for Casa Lapostolle when I found Apalta in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Apalta is an old vineyard dating back before the phyloxera infestation." Phyloxera is a root eating aphid that devastated the vineyards of Europe in late nineteenth century. Clos Apalta, her flagship wine, has been graced with glowing accolades and found a slot on the Wine Spectator 2003 and 2004 Top 100. In fact, all of her wines enjoy flattering reviews on a consistent basis.
Her whites are well made and refreshing and her reds offer quality not found in their respective prices ranges. Her wines offer us class, quality, value, and a touch of tradition in a New World setting. With her business savvy and hands on approach to winemaking, Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle is the ideal person for aligning Casa Lapostolle as a world class producer.
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TheOldWine
