Winemaker Notes
IWC Champion Red Wine Trophy 2019
A bright, ruby-red color. The intense nose carries predominant aromas of spices and red fruit (strawberry). On the palate, the fine, silky tannins enhance the fruity freshness of the wine.Blend: 60% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre
Pairs well with rack of lamb, game birds and mature cheeses.
Professional Ratings
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2017 Gérard Bertrand Château L'Hospitalet is attractive, authentic, and persistent. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers a complex mix of black fruit and savory spices. Enjoy its full-bodied profile with a seared sirloin steak topped with minced shallots. (Tasted: May 10, 2020, San Francisco, CA)
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Essentially a mountain on France’s Mediterranean coast, La Clape's vineyards vary in elevation by as much as nearly 1,000 feet. This tiny region also boasts some of France’s highest total hours of sunshine and produces aromatic whites from the Bourboulenc variety as well as full-bodied red blends from the usual Rhône suspects.