Etikettarkiv: La Clape

French red wines, Uncategorized

Premium spicy red from La Clape

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From Southern France we tasted a spicy red wine made of the famous GSM cuvée: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grape varieties. The appellation La Clape has been its own since 2015, and is situated in the Western part of the Languedoc area, near Narbonne.

The producer Gérard Bertrand is one of the front figures of wine and especially organic wines in Southern France, and is the fourth generation in his family to run a wine business. He took over in 1987 when his father suddenly passed away, and has since 2002 transformed his business towards biodynamic wine growing practices. Today the firm has 17 estates with 977 hectares of biodynamically grown vineyards plus lots of co-operation with local growers.

The Château L’Hospitalet La Réserve Rouge 2023 offers fantastic notes of ripe blueberries and dark plums, black olives, bay leaf, figs, cocoa and vanilla from oak barrel aging. The balance between acidity and tannin structure is excellent, and the wine has a long finish of ripe berries and vanilla.

The alcohol is 15 %, and in Sweden the price is 219 SEK at Systembolaget (nr 7314201).

This is a wine that is excellent with all meat dishes including well-grilled lamb and game dishes. Spicy sauces are also very tasty, given the acidity level and complexity of the wine.

This wine is really very price-worthy, and we give it 94 points!

French red wines

Dark olives notes from La Clape

From La Clape in the south of France and the region Languedoc-Roussillon, this typical ”GSM” blend produces notes of both dark olives, chocolate and licorice on the palate. GSM stands for the 3 grape varieties Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, and is typical for this region since they complement each other well. Saint Auriol Chatelaine comes from the producer Les Domaines Auriol, and this wine is sold for 119 SEK at Systembolaget (nr 4500).

It has high but well-balanced level of acidity and smooth tannins that are rounded off by one year of oak maturation. This adds notes of cedar, cloves, chocolate and vanilla – on top of the spicy and dark fruity notes both on the nose and palate. It is very easy to combine with most dishes of meat as well as overcooked or grilled cheeses or vegetables – add a spicy and creamy sauce and the combination is perfect! I give this wine 86 points!

French red wines

Spicy enjoyable red from Languedoc

Southern France has for some been known for mass-produced wines, but good quality wines are made and the quality in general is rising. This wine comes from Château L’Hospitalet, La Clape – close to Narbonne by the Mediterranean Sea.

The grape varieties used are the GSM-blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The producer is the famous Gerard Bertrand, who owns and co-operates with many co-operatives and growers in Languedoc-Roussillon region. The price is 189 SEK, and the nr 73142 at Systembolaget.

This is a very pleasant wine, which has been oak matured for one year in French barriques giving notes of cloves, vanilla and chocolate and very integrated but still present tannins and structure. There are lovely notes of lavendel, black plums and blackberries as well as bay leafs, figs and black pepper with hints of licorice.

This wine has a full body, with very nicely integrated acidity with its pronounced flavours and pleasant finish. It is easy to combine with both spicy vegetarian dishes and most meat dishes. Very good with grilled or oven cooked meals with creamy spicy sauces. I give this wine 93 points and find it very enjoyable!