Borobo by Lapostolle
Borobo 2008
GEOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS
A wine unlike anything else,
unique, born of the communion
among our three
exceptional vineyards.
Apalta Vineyard: It is located at 170 Kilometers South West of Santiago in the Colchagua Valley. The
Vineyard is situated on a North to South exposure, which is quite rare in Chile. The Tinguiririca river rests
on one side and the hills from the Coastal Cordillera surround the vineyard like a horseshoe on the other
and are both integral in forming this unique terroir.
Atalayas Vineyard: This vineyard is in the heart of the Chilean Costal Cordillera, at only
22 km away from the Pacific Ocean. Its rolling hills offer steep exposures which are the source of an
array of meso-climates. The conditions allow us to produce different lots,
each with a unique personality that contributes to the final blend.
Las Kuras Vineyard: Is located 100 km south east of Santiago and only 5 kilometers from the base
of the Andes Mountain, on an flat old river bed.
CLIMATE CONDITIONS
Colchagua: Its climate could be described as Semi-dry Mediterranean; with a winter only rainy season
and a long dry summer season. Rains are highly concentrated during the winter reaching over 700 mm
in on average. During the growing season (Oct-April), we have beautiful days and warm temperatures with
no rain due to the height of the Coastal Mountains which partially block the cold influence of the Pacific
Ocean. There are cool breezes in the afternoons and the night-time temperatures are cold. We benefit
from a wide temperature fluctuation between night and day.
Casablanca: Atalayas vineyard is strongly influenced by the sea, which is cold due to the Humboldt
Current coming from Antarctica. Under this cold influence, the low layer of the atmosphere is cooled
down, which provokes numerous low clouds and fog which penetrate the valley in the mornings. Mid-days
and afternoons are warm and sunny in spring and summer
(25° C- 77° F in January), but sea breeze gets up generally at the end of afternoon to lower the
temperature by 9 or 10° C (48° F).
Cachapoal: Under a semi-arid Mediterranean climate. Most of our rain usually occurs in winter, between
May to September, with an average annual rainfall around 510 mm. Between November and April, the
vines grow normally under dry conditions. Although the days are moderately hot in summer (82-86° F), the
nights are pleasantly cool (54-58° F), as a result of cool breezes blowing off the mountains of the Andes.
THE SOIL
Apalta: Colluvial granitic soils, lightly textured with layers of clay.
Atalayas: Granite origin with low fertility and are slightly acidic. Like their mother rock, they are very
sensitive to erosion and need to be protected by a green cover management.
Las Kuras: Alluvial terraces with shallow soils, with an abundance of round river rocks and gravel. The
high percentage of pebbles provides excellent drainage, great aeration and low fertility. Also, the stones
trap the heat during the day to deliver it by night, creating a unique microclimate.
VINTAGE CONDITIONS IN 2008
In Colchagua and Cachapoal: The 2007-2008 brought a dry winter with the coldest temperatures of the
last 6 years. Because of these colder temperatures, bud break occurred with one week to ten days of
delay. Spring was very dry and temperatures were more extreme than usual. In October we had a good
development of the plant and the vines were able to compensate for the initial delay. Flowering conditions
were good and we had berry set on the usual date. Summer was hotter and with higher amplitude of
temperatures than normal. The weather conditions were exceptional allowing us to reach perfect phenolic
maturity and to finish harvest before the first important rain.
In Casablanca: Bud break occurred one week to ten days later. The spring-summer was drier and
temperatures were extreme in both directions, so the vines were able to compensate for the initial delay.
Flowering conditions were good and we had grape set on the usual date. During the maturation period,
the temperature was the same as average, but we experienced extreme highs and lows: The weather
conditions during the harvest were very good even with a little rain (12,3 mm) on March 7th and another
shower of 15 mm on April 11th, that where welcomed after such a dry spring-summer.
WINEMAKING
Our winemaking philosophy is to respect the purity of the fruit that comes from our very best blocks. A
truly hand crafted wine, we nurture our vines and attend to every detail to preserve the potential of the
grapes. We hand harvest the fruit very early in the morning in small cases. The grapes are 100% hand
de-stemmed at Clos Apalta Winery so we maintain complete control of the quality. We fill our French oak
tanks by gravity. Then nature does its work, allowing native yeasts that slowly ferment the must into wine
with temperature control less than 28°C. Manual pigeages during the fermentation and skin contact is
done depending on the variety. We rack the young new wine straight into French oak barrels by gravity.
Malolactic-fermentation happens in barrels, where the wine stays for 22 months, ageing patiently. The wine
is bottled by gravity without any treatment or filtration.
TASTING NOTES
Color: Intense red color with purple shades.
Nose: Elegant and expressive with a complex and round nose full of red and black fruit aromas along
with spices and white chocolate.
Palate: Polished tannins with and elegant texture, very round and fresh. Very long persistence in the palate.
Service and Food Pairing: 16ºC to 18°C (60°F to 64°F). Ideal companion for game and lamb well
seasoned dishes
Borobo 2008
By the Numbers
APPELATION
Region/District:
Central Valley
Grape Variety:
50% Carmenère; 18% Pinot Noir; 16% Merlot; 13% Syrah and 3% Petit Verdot.
VINEYARD
Vineyard
Management:
Pre-filoxera Carmenère old vines
(60 to 80 years) not grafted.
High density plantation: 5.400
to 6.666 pl/hectare.
Yields: Average 2.000-3000 Kg/he – or
830– 1.300 Kg/acre.
Afternoon sun leaf removal and green harvest to fine tune yields.
Harvested from the 1st of March until
the 8th of May 2008.
WINEMAKING
Grapes Selection: 100% hand de-stemmed in our
Clos Apalta Winery.
Fermentation: 100% Wild yeast in French oak small tanks.
Skin contact up to 5 weeks.
Ageing: 100% of the blend in 225 lts. 81%
new French oak barrels and 19%
second fill French oak for 22 months.
Coopers: Saury, Taransaud, Seguin Moreau, Demptos, Sylvain and Radoux.
Medium toast mainly.
Fining and
filtering:
Not fined, cold stabilized or filtered. AGEING
PRODUCTION
Date of Bottling: April 2010.
Cases produced: 448 cases of 12 bottles.
“Borobo is a wine that has no limits.
From the spirit of France
to the soil of Chile: the old world
varieties blended with the freedom
of the new world.”
Cyril de Bournet,
Co founder of Lapostolle.