Winemaker Notes
A deep yet beautifully balanced with wine with notes of subtle raspberry, rhubarb, sweet spices and tobacco aromas. In the mouth, the elegant and silky tannins bring a very velvety touch to this wine. It is unique in its combination of concentration of fruit, attractive aromatics and body.
Blend: 85% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 1% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Dark, earthy funk and peppercorn spice on top of the black cherries. Nicely chewy on the medium-bodied palate, showing dark cherries and dark spices. Not a lot of depth of flavor here, but it’s well balanced.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Commanderie des Hospitaliers brings lovely mixed red fruits, dried spices, and earth to the fore. Try it with a savory lamb stew. (Tasted: April 21, 2024, 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.
An extensive appellation producing a diverse selection of good quality and great values, Languedoc spans the Mediterranean coast from the Pyrenees mountains of Roussillon all the way to the Rhône Valley. Languedoc’s terrain is generally flat coastal plains, with a warm Mediterranean climate and frequent risk of drought.
Virtually every style of wine is made in this expansive region. Most dry wines are blends with varietal choice strongly influenced by the neighboring Rhône Valley. For reds and rosés, the primary grapes include Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. White varieties include Grenache Blanc, Muscat, Ugni Blanc, Vermentino, Macabéo, Clairette, Piquepoul and Bourbelenc.
International varieties are also planted in large numbers here, in particular Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The key region for sparkling wines here is Limoux, where Blanquette de Limoux is believed to have been the first sparkling wine made in France, even before Champagne. Crémant de Limoux is produced in a more modern style.