CHÂTEAU L'HOSPITALET, La Clape, Grand Vin, GERARD BERTRAND
Description
- Vintage: 2021
- Origin: La Clape massif, France
- Varietal blend: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre
- Taste guide: Deep ruby colour. Generous fruit jam, black cherry and currant accompanied licorice, spice and toast on the nose. Complex and aromatic palate, fine tannins. Elegant wine, soft, delicious and balanced
- Food pairing: Serve at 16°C with rack of lamb, game birds or mature cheeses. This wine fleshy, harmonious, with an elegant structure, can be drunk now and portends a most promising future
- 75cl - 15% - Traditional Cork Opening
- 4.2 Vivino score is superb and reliable on over 4k ratings
Gerard Bertrand is synonymous with Southern France. Owner of 16 estates, including the inimitable Chateau l’Hospitalet – voted one of the World’s best wines, he is a pioneer of organic & biodynamic viticulture in quality winemaking and owns some of the most prestigious crus of the Languedoc region
Chateau l’Hospitalet is located on the La Clape massif, a protected nature reserve, just south of Narbonne in the Languedoc wine region. Gerard Bertrand acquired the 80 hectare estate in 2002 and, inspired by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, has since fully converted it to biodynamic viticulture and winemaking. The soils are a mixture of marl and limestone and the climate is typically Mediterranean with long sunshine days and a cool breeze.
Château l’Hospitalet ‘Grand Vin’ Rouge is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, picked by hand, vinified separately and then transferred to 225 litre French barriques for 12-16 months. The best barrels are then selected for the ‘Grand Vin’ blend. Intense garnet colour, aromas of ripe fruits and Garrigue. On the palate cassis, violet and tapenade, licorice, menthol and tobacco.
Only 3 bottles sourced from a restaurant changing hands. (Feb ‘25) This is a £40 bottle all day so grab a bargain and drink now but also fine to age 5-10 years.