Casa Lapostolle Rapel Merlot 2005

A hauntingly aromatic, classically wrought Merlot, the 2005 Casa Lapostolle Rapel Merlot puts to shame the fast majority of its California brethren and many of its French cousins, too, even quite a few of those with Grand Cru St. Emilion status. Medium-bodied but positively packed with charm and flavor, the 2005 Casa Lapostolle Rapel Merlot epitomizes everything that makes excellent Merlot so appealing and easy to drink. Within the Casa Lapostolle Merlot, blackberry, cassis, cedar, and subtle earth tones emerge to caress the nose and palate, making this first rate Merlot hard to resist. Rare is the Merlot that possesses finesse as well as flavor, but this Casa Lapostolle offering hits the mark on all accounts. Deeply colored, long on the palate, and smooth right through to a long, seductive finish, we can't think of many other Merlots that offer the consumer so much pure, easy drinking pleasure. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest that this classic Merlot be opened 10-15 minutes prior to consumption and that it be served at cool room temperature (64°-68° F).

Casa Lapostolle, like most of South America's best wine estates, fashion wines that are both immediately appealing and extremely versatile and food friendly. Consequently, we suggest that you uncork the 2005 Casa Lapostolle Merlot and fire up the grill. Bring on the marinated chicken and a bunch of thick, juicy steaks. Pour a glass or two of this wine while you cook, and then invite a couple of friends over. Then you had better open a second bottle and hope that there is enough left to serve with the beautiful barbecue fare you have just removed from the grill. Other easy, no fuss suggestions with the 2005 Casa Lapostolle Rapel Merlot include grilled lamb, pork, and hamburgers. Pasta, grilled vegetables, and most cheeses made from cow's milk pair well with this Merlot as well. In addition, we can attest to this wine's ability to transform a low carbohydrate salad into a veritable feast. And don't worry about a little marinade or spicy condiment doing damage to this finesse driven Merlot; we have found that Casa Lapostolle's red wines don't faint in the sight of a little heat or spice. Enjoy!

Casa Lapostolle is a collaborative effort of two great families: the Marnier family of Grand Marnier fame and the Rabat family of Chile. Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle, heir to the Grand Marnier legacy, reigns over this celebrated, European style winery. Together with her husband Cyril de Bournet and consulting enologist Michel Rolland, Alexandra Marnier-Lapostolle has in little more than a decade garnered international acclaim for the wines of Casa Lapostolle and established this estate as one of the very finest in South America. In creating Casa Lapostolle, the Marnier-Lapostolle family has pursued the same uncompromising approach to quality that made Grand Marnier a household name. The objective at Casa Lapostolle is simple: to consistently create world-class wines by marrying French expertise to the incomparable terroir of Chile. Indeed, the Chilean climate is perfect for the cultivation of the vine, and the soil harbors no phylloxera, a dreaded vine louse. In addition, Chile contains a great number of old vines, primarily from French varietals that were brought from France in the 19th century, before phylloxera devastated the parent stock in Europe. Consequently, many of the old, ungrafted vines continue to thrive in the vineyards of Chile, and most Chilean vines, old and new, grow naturally on their own rootstocks. At Casa Lapostolle, the result is pure, natural tasting wines that express expert care and ideal growing conditions. Today, Casa Lapostolle comprises more than 750 acres of prime vineyards, located in three distinct growing areas. This estate produces several excellent white wines, including one of the New World's finest Chardonnays under the Cuvée Alexandre label, as well as a coterie of outstanding reds. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate Casa Lapostolle's red wine portfolio with Carmenère (Chile's own unique red varietal) playing only a supporting role in the estate's blends. Casa Lapostolle's enviable red wine portfolio includes the estate's outstanding Rapel Merlot; Cuvée Alexandre Merlot, a limited release luxury bottling; and Clos Apalta,