Domaine de l'Hortus Grande Cuvee Red 2020 (JR: 17)

"Elegant, complex nose. Floral notes initially then opens to red and dark fruit, spice and chocolate. Lovely texture on the palate, the tannins dense but suave. A zesty freshness provides balance. Overall, very refined."
by James Lawther MW @ Jancis Robinson Blog (17 May 2023)

"In my glass this month : Domaine de l'Hortus in Pic St Loup has been working at the frontiers of elegance, finesse and delicacy in recent years, and the 2019 Grande Cuvée is a triumphant vindication of this approach. Fragrant, quietly floral aromas, then a concentrated, bright, drivingly pure flavour, fresh yet nuanced, bursting with life, beautifully crafted. Would the world's top sommeliers guess its origin ? I don't know - but they'll like it. No trouble, either, finding food partners for a wine of understated classicism like this. Languedoc is changing." 
by Andrew Jefford from Decanter Magazine

This wine is exclusively crafted with old vines coming from the best parcels of Hortus vineyard. 

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence / Ryuichi Sakamoto - From Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2022

這款葡萄酒來自Hortus，用最佳葡萄園的老藤葡萄釀製而成。
Grande Cuvée系列的紅酒和白酒，都有根基於土地的根基，充分反映出Pic St Loup 出色的風土。水源供應可靠，土地也能享受當地最好的天候，加上土地排水能力高，深度充足，可以防止葡萄樹在夏季乾涸。在此環境下生長的葡萄樹，質素統一，在單寧、酸度和香氣之間擁有優質平衡。釀酒師亦投入大量人力物力於葡萄的浸漬，以及花更長時間來陳年。
 
產區保護條例：
南法 AOP Pic Saint Loup

產地：
法國

種類：
紅葡萄酒

風土：
Pic Saint-Loup的優秀地段，灌木叢、礦石、高地，源自白堊紀時期的棕色石灰岩土壤。斜坡角度由10%-30%不等，海拔為150至300米。

葡萄品種：
Syrah、Mourvèdre、Grenache

收成：
每公頃約4,000至7,150棵葡萄藤

釀造：
葡萄在除枝後再壓搾，於大缸內發酵25-30日

陳年：
初期在大缸陳年6個月，再於225及400L的木桶內陳年12個月。木桶會是全新，或者經過一或兩次使用。

品酒筆記：
(Jancis Robinson's rating: 17 points)
香氣優雅而複雜。以花香揭開序幕，然後是紅果、深色水果、香料和朱古力。 質感令人愉悅，單寧濃郁但柔和，新鮮度提供了平衡。總體來說，非常精緻。

配餐小貼士：
過往時時聽說白酒配白肉海鮮，但其實很多人忽略了一些南法的紅酒其實是當地人配搭海鮮的首選，皆因香草充足，果香豐足，雖然紅酒有單寧，但只要搭配得宜，不但無傷大雅，紅酒輕量的單寧也可提鮮，深受南法人喜愛。L'Hortus Grand Cuvee 香草香料豐富，果味濃厚，可大膽嘗試地配法式海鮮湯Bouillabaisse。因為海鮮湯非常濃郁，兩者濃度可互相平衡，而提升鮮味。

This wine is exclusively crafted with old vines coming from the best parcels of Hortus vineyard.

The domaine is a family estate lying in a valley between two facing limestone cliffs, the Pic Saint Loup and the Montagne de L'Hortus. The word hortus is latin for "garden", a reference to the many gardens the Romans found, to their surprise, when they arrived in the area. Long before then, this valley and the many natural caves embedded in the surroundings, protective mountains are thought to have been one of the areas where Neanderthals found refuge.
 
Wines from the great terroir of Pic St Loup. The ‘Grande Cuvée’ wines, red and white, have their roots in the property’s loveliest land, where water supply is the most reliable. The land parcels benefit from the best weather conditions and the soils both drain well and are sufficiently deep to ensure water reserves protect the vines from summer drought. This results in homogenous maturity with the grapes developing an excellent balance between the quality of the tannins, acidity and aromas. These qualities mean more concentrated work with the grapes (long maceration) and the wine (long maturing in casks).

Appellation:
AOP Pic Saint Loup, Southern France

Country of Origin:
France

Type:
Red/Rouge (Still)

Terroir:
Land parcels on mid-slope. Brown soil formed from limestone scree dating from the Cretaceous period. Hill slopes varying from 10 to 30% at altitudes from 150 – 300 metres.

Grape Varieties:
Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache

Yields:
25 – 30hl/ha for land parcels with a density of between 4000 and 7150 plants per hectare.

Vinification:
Grapes are de-stemmed and crushed. 25-30 days in vats.

Maturing:
6 months in vats before initial blending then 12 months in 225 and 400 litre oak casks. These can be new, or of 1 or 2 wines.

Tasting Notes:
(Jancis Robinson's rating: 17 points)
Elegant, complex nose. Floral notes initially then opens to red and dark fruit, spice and chocolate. Lovely texture on the palate, the tannins dense but suave. A zesty freshness provides balance. Overall, very refined.

Food Pairing:
White wines are generally pair best with fish and seafood.  However, red wines from southern France are best suited for seafood for locals because of the generous herbal and fruity aromas.  Light tannins from red wines also interact beautifully with fish oils on the palate. L'Hortus Grand Cuvee is rich enough to be served with Bouillabaisse, that helps to bring out the umami.