Score: 87/100
Bergerie de l’Hortus is the second wine of famous Pic Saint Loup producer Domaine de l’Hortus from the Languedoc wine region.
This white wine version is a blend of Petit Manseng, Bourboulenc, Sauvignon Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, and Chardonnay.
The vineyards yielding these grapes are planted at a density between 6250 – 7150 plants per hectare, on land parcels on gentle slopes at the bottom of the valley. Soils are made of alluvial deposits, a mix of hard limestone from the cliff sides and from softer limestone deposited on the slopes as the river carved out its bed. Altitude between 150-200 meters above sea level.
The grapes were directly pressed (no skin contact in tank), before a 3-4-week fermentation followed by 4 months of maturation in tanks. Eventually, the wine was bottled towards the end of winter.
Tasting Notes
This Languedoc white comes in a bright lemon-yellow color with delicate gold and green hues. Looking youthful and shiny, moderately intense in its appearance.
The nose is dominated by vibrant citrusy notes, as well as grassiness.
Ripe lemon, fresh apricot, and grapefruit aromas, are joined by acacia leaf and freshly-cut grass notes. Relatively discrete an aromatic profile, but warming to smell at thanks to the ripe fruit characters.
The palate is dry with a crisp and mineral acidity. Bone dry it is in fact. The light oily texture, and fruity note do balance the wine well, but it still feels crisp and zesty. Fresh ripe lemon and orange marmalade flavors give the wine a certain generosity, while the grassy notes are pungent and increasingly dominant, taking over as you approach the finish.
Overall
A fresh and lively white wine, delivering a wealth of ripe summery fruit flavors, apricot, ripe lemon, and grapefruit, with elegance and control. Its crispiness. combined with the ripe fruit richness and relatively light texture for a Southern French white, make for an easy sip, yet a punchy one, flavor-wise.
A wine that is easy to sip on its own, given you enjoy some refreshing acidity, or with subtle appetizers or entrée dishes.
Enjoy 🙂
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