Domaine de l'Hortus Grande Cuvee Red 2013 (RP:92) / 2016 (RP:92) / 2017

"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

The most elegant, finesse and intellectual wine from Languedoc
Domaine L'Hortus - Pic-St-Loup (Cru of Languedoc, France)

L'Hortus Grande Cuvee Rouge Vintage 2013

當你明白Pomerol和St-Emilion的分別，應該會了解L'Hortus和其他Languedoc的分別，遊走在仙氣和優雅之間，從來都堅持忠實富韌力風格，並不是分數大氣候能輕易改變的。開始是那令人懷緬的某某紅黑樹莓果汁糖香，很快就另人聯想到蘭花，然後那英式糖果屋般的甘草被淺白橡木下包圍整個口腔，雖則是Syrah和Mourvedre為主和一丁點Grenache，但那5% Grenache不是蓋的，在Mourvedre的土壤感後湧上，充滿陽氣力量感，那60% 白木Syrah令你根本沒法輕易和其他酒比較，充滿線條和幽香，喝到杯底還有淡淡皮革和黑橄欖香，難怪曾被酒友形容為『The Petrus of Languedoc』！當然要那位兄台應該喝過Petrus才會說出這種話！但我會認為他會是南法的永恆經典，亦非常值得一試！

Sens Team (23/12/2022)

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

The Wine Advocate (RP: 92pts):

Leading off the 2013s, the 2013 Languedoc Pic Saint Loup Grande Cuvee is a knockout effort that’s made from 60% Syrah, 35% Mourvèdre and the balance Grenache. Aged 12 months in one, two and three-year-old barrels, followed by six months in tank, it has uncommon concentrated depth, as well as medium to full-bodied richness, to go with classic Syrah raspberry and black raspberry fruit, garrigue and toasted spice. Given its overall balance, and level of ripe tannin, it can be enjoyed today, or cellared for a decade.

Jeb Dunnuck －The Wine Advocate

這款葡萄酒來自Hortus最佳葡萄園用老葡萄釀製而成。
這是來自Pic St Loup terroir一支很出色的酒，Grande Cuvée系列的紅酒和白酒，都有它們深種於那片土地的根基，因為水源供應最可靠，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。面對這些葡萄，也要投入更集中人力物力於葡萄的浸漬，和花更長時間於陳年中。
 
產區保護條例：
南法 AOC Coteaux du Languedoc

產地：
法國

種類：
紅葡萄酒

風土：
於中腰斜坡生長，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：
60% Syrah, 35% Mourvèdre, 5% Grenache.

收成：
每公頃約4,000至7,150棵樹生產25-30 hl / Ha

釀造：
葡萄在除枝後再壓搾。於大缸內發酵25-30日

陳年：
在初期調製前已在大缸陳年6個月，再於225及400L的木桶內陳年12個月，木桶會是全新，或者是經過一或兩次使用

品酒筆記：
極深紅色，香料和黑果香氣，並帶樹林和黑胡椒。典型的黑果味道，略帶胡椒。優雅收結。

(2013)
Decanter's rating: 91 points
2013 年對Languedoc來說是相對涼爽的一年，亦是該地區有記錄以來最遲收成的一年。 這款深色葡萄酒清新、甜美、帶有深沉的李子和紅蘋果果香，以及泥土和濕潤灰塵的氣息。口感鮮美、生動、活潑，幾乎具有意大利風格：香氣撲鼻，酸度活潑，單寧輕快。Syrah在歌唱。 

(2016)
Decanter's rating: 91 points
與Grand Cuvee 白酒相比，Grand Cuvee 紅酒的混釀已經沉澱了很長時間。它由 60% 的Syrah（從來沒有一絲過熟的味道）、35% 的Mourvèdre（比 Bandol的風格更輕盈、更活躍）和5%的Grenache混合而成——它有整整五個星期的時間浸皮，然後非常溫和地進行 pumpovers。
這是從最好的地塊中精選的葡萄酒：排水良好，但在漫長乾燥的夏季有水分儲備，提供均勻的成熟週期。陳釀在缸內、細木桶和 400 升的木桶中進行，當中有少許新木材。它在 Pic Saint Loup 艱難的冰雹年釀造，呈清澈的深紅色，香氣誘人，紅果和黑果完美地結合。口感清新的酸度、粉末狀的單寧和濃郁的果香：車厘子、覆盆子和李子的味道與茶葉、香草和松樹的味道交織在一起。非常優雅的葡萄酒，幾乎結合了布根地的重量和細膩，以及獨特的Languedoc風味。

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).

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。

Appellation:
AOC Coteaux du Languedoc, 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:
60% Syrah, 35% Mourvèdre, 5% 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:
Very deep, inky red colour. Spicy, dark fruit, and forest floor with hints of peppery aromas. Typical dark fruit flavours with peppery. Elegant finish.
Domaine L'Hortus is known for soft, dense red with waves of wild resinous herbs (garigue) and the scent of woodlands floating through them. At their best, they are dark reds with a delicious savoriness reminiscent of meat juice. This wine comes into your mouth with a big arc of flavor and finishes with a spicy/minerally bang.

(2013)
Decanter's rating: 91 points
The 2013 season was a long and relatively cool one for the Languedoc, with the latest harvest ever recorded at the domain. This dark wine has fresh, sweet, brooding plum and red apple fruits with aromatic notes of earth and moist dust, and the palate it's sapid, vivid, lively, cool and taut, with an almost Italian style; perfumed, with lively acidity and brisk tannins. The Syrah sings here.

(2016)
Decanter's rating: 91 points
In contrast to the white wine, the blend of the Grand Cuvee red has been settled for a long time. It is 60% Syrah (never a whiff of over-ripeness), 35% Mourvèdre (in a very different, lighter and more athletic style to Bandol), and 5% Grenache to act as liaison - it gets a full five weeks on its skins although extraction, using a gentle daily rack-and-return followed by soft pumpovers to keep the cap moist, is very gentle.
It's a selection of wines from the best parcels: well-drained but with a water reserve for the long, dry summers, giving a homogenous ripening cycle. The blends are made prior to ageing, which takes place in tank as well as barriques and 400-litre barrels, though with little new wood. Made in a difficult hail year for Pic Saint Loup, this is a clear, deep red in colour, with teasing aerial aromas in which red and black fruits are perfectly aligned. On the palate, there is cascading fresh acidity, very fine-grained tannins and deep fruit flavours in which the cherry, rasberry and plum notes mingle with tea leaf, herbs and pine. A pretty wine which combines almost Burgundian weight and finesse with distinctive Languedoc flavours.