Gerard Bertrand Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape Château l'Hospitalet Grand Vin

Shows of just what a great vyd La Clape is Hugely expressive nose with loads of black cherry, hints of spicy oak and a touch of black olive too. Still very youthful and no change to its brooding colour. Hides it's 15.5 alcohol very well on the palate with loads more black and blue fruits and well judged oak. Drinking beautifully but still has years to burn.

Been a decade or so since I explored Languedoc, trying to remedy that now. I knew this would be high octane going in, but still surprised by how turbocharged it is. Luxurious new oak on the nose, very Napaesque. On the palate, kirsch, soft mid-palate and a spirity burn on the finish (15.5% abv!) point to Chateauneuf - a modernist one due to all that oak. It's 60/30/10 Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre, but I would have guessed Grenache dominant. Day 2, the oak …

Deep red - ruby, garnet. Fairly quick legs. Nose of red fruit jam, strawberry, smoke Above average acidity, but balanced. Soft tannins. Moderate finish length. Fruit (jammy red fruits) take a back seat at the start. Currant, smoked meat, cedar.

Deep ruby. Medium+ intensity. Black plum, blackcurrant, tar, thyme, dried herbs, pepper, chocolate. Med+ acidity, high but ripe tannins, high alcohol but felt med+ body. Med+ finish. Very good wine, suitable for a few more years of bottle age.

Had a bottle in May and opened 1/2 hour before drinking. This time, I opened at meal and poured glass through aerator and put cork back in bottle. That was the trick. It was better than last bottle. Reidel Syrah glass.

Opened 1/2 hour before meal and it was fabulous by dinner time, but as it aired, it settled into something less expensive. I don’t think it should be cellared much longer, maybe a couple years. Reidel Syrah glass with turkey meatloaf.

87 Feb 2023 👃 purple fruits and earthy. 👅 PnP: Smoked meat, oak, chocolate finish. There is just a little fruit but I can't really place it. Gets more meaty over time. It's different, interesting, but I would've liked more fruit to get to the third glass. The next day, THERE'S THE FRUIT. Makes it about a 90. Maybe less interesting than yesterday but an easier sipper.

Smoky with red fruit, tobacco, licorice, tar. An interesting and tasty wine.

Very nice and easy going wine, sweet fruit, fresh. Great subtle but defined tannins. A bit spicy. Buy again!

Too engineered, too much oak, soulless. "But it will be better in 10 years". Yeah man, so will a thousand other wines.

Strawberries and cherries on the nose. Burnt earth, red fruit and leather flavors. Good value.

3

Chateau l hospitalet la Clape grand vin 2018 Tasted blind. On the nose, lots of coffee, cocoa, tobacco, sweet herbs, vanilla, sweet licorice, quite a powerful nose. On the palate, lots of sweet black fruit, vanilla, oak, coffee, cocoa sweetness, can tell there’s lots of new oak, banana. Well balanced and integrated especially the oak. Lots of coffee, cocoa and vanilla - felt like I was drinking a breakfast stout. 93/100 about there

Dark ruby red colour. Initially a bit hot but this disappears with some breathing in the glass. Afterwards expressive on the nose, with dark fruits, blackberries, blueberries, black plums, but also strawberries and spices like almond and cinnamon. On the palate it has medium acidity, juicy texture, very concentrated fruits and soft tannins. Finish is long and spicy. Given its concentration and balance I expect this wine will have many years ahead. But for now, this is already a real …