I am sitting like a lizard in the warm afternoon sunshine, wrapped in an alpaca wool shawl on a scenic terrace overlooking the Apalta wine appellation and volcanoes of the Andes. The chilly morning rain has moved out and there’s not a cloud in the sky. In the distance, there’s a shrill call of a queltehue, a southern lapwing, one of the most common birds in the Chilean countryside and the murmur of voices from the nearby lodge. I am enjoying a moment to myself to reboot after a very early arrival from Buenos Aires this morning.
After touching down, I made a beeline to Clos Apalta Residence, a stunning hotel property in the heart of the Colchagua Wine Valley, 2.5 hours south of Santiago. While Clos Apalta is renowned for its wine, and the stunning gravity flow winery is certainly iconic, I am here to stay in the newish, ultra-luxurious villas, added as an extension to the existing four vineyard casitas (also freshly renovated).
After a very leisurely check-in and lunch, I climb aboard the golf cart ushering people and luggage up and down the steep hillside to/from the villas (note to self: just walk next time, or hold on tightly). Each villa (and casita) is named for one of the grape varieties grown in the vineyard. Fittingly, I am assigned Grenache, as if they knew my affinity for that variety!
Entering the villa, it immediately feels like an opulent treehouse. The view opens completely and is located mid-slope right above the center of the vineyards. The architecture is completely integrated into the hillside so you feel the forest yet seem to be floating just above it. The picture windows have encompassing vistas of the surrounding hillsides (awash with wild mustard at this time of year), the valley floor, and the Andes. There’s a panoramic view from every single vantage point (living, bedroom, bathroom) and a wraparound veranda to enjoy it outside, too. Even the individual vanities in the spa-like bathroom mirror the landscape. And then there’s the ‘hall of mirrors’, an enormous closet area with floor-to-ceiling infinity mirrors that makes getting dressed so fun and an excuse to indulge in endless selfies…or at least I did that!
Another thing to love? The living room is completely detached from the master bedroom and bathroom so if you need to work, make a phone call, or wake up in the middle of night or really early in the morning for a coffee, it doesn’t bother your significant other or travel partner. And at 1600 square feet (148m2), the villa definitely feels like a private hillside getaway where you can easily disappear for as long as you want, surfacing only to be fed and wined in the main lodge as needed (breakfast can be delivered and served in your villa upon request, too).
Following a short siesta, I manage to peel myself away from the villa. I skip the winery tour, which while a true architectural feat everyone should see at least once, I have visited probably 100 times since its 2005 inauguration. Instead, I meet with their resident sommelier to taste through a few vintages of the Clos Apalta wine by the fireplace.
Founded by Alexandre Marnier (of the Gran Marnier family), Clos Apalta’s icon wine has consistently scored 100 points for multiple vintages and is firmly established as one of Chile’s most acclaimed red wines on the icon level. The project has grown to include other wines within the portfolio, which are tasted in the context of meals, although Clos Apalta continues to be the hallmark wine. As we taste through the line up, I realize this is the kind of wine I don’t gravitate to very much anymore as my palate has veered more in the champagne-white wine-Burgundy-esque red direction. It’s big, dense, and chewy and reaches 15% alcohol. The style is very Michel Rolland (their wine advisor) and, for my palate at least, has this bonbon quality from the concentration and use of new oak that immediately makes the vintages with some age on them (like 7-10 years) more approachable.
While Clos Apalta as a project was initially built as the ‘home’ to make the namesake wine, today the focus is a complete hospitality experience and is part of the Relais & Chateaux group. Chef Leonel Diaz helms the kitchen and is a Colchagua native leveraging much of what is sourced from the property’s extensive vegetable garden to create the menu along with products from the local Santa Cruz feria (farmers market) or other small producers in the valley. While his perspective is acutely local and Chilean in many flavor combinations, there’s a consistent French flair (and undertone) that cuts across not only the food but the aesthetics as well. It’s that kind of old world touch of understated elegance and sophistication that feels rooted in a clear vision and noble materials.
The next morning, after a good night’s sleep, I head out on a long vineyard walk to get fresh air before the most scenic pilates workout ever. There’s a villa solely dedicated as a gym, complete with dry and Turkish saunas! Fortunately, I can take my time since there is nothing on the agenda this morning…what a godsend in a place like this!
For guests staying at Clos Apalta, the property is strategically located within the Colchagua Valley so many winery visits and anchor dining, like Francis Mallmann’s Fuegos de Apalta, are very close by. Of course, as tempting as it may be to run around the valley and conquer tasting as many wines as humanly possible (and certainly one day could be dedicated to that…), I think this is the kind of place to savor, rest, and enjoy just being there. It’s so incredibly exquisite in every way!
After a fabulous champagne brunch, before moving on to my next stop, I did just that. I absorbed as much of those glorious views of the Chilean countryside as I could. Having spent over half my life in Chile, the imagen (image) of the Andes and the green valley floor will be forever etched in my memory — and soul. I was, in essence, filling my tank with nature and beauty for the road.
Definitely worth a few days detour from Santiago, or even a trip from afar, too.
