Château L'Hospitalet Grand Vin La Clape

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They are then sorted and destemmed before being transferred to temperature-controlled vats. Each grape variety is vinified separately. The maceration lasts between 20 and 25 days.

Located on the coast, Château de l’Hospitalet looks down on the Mediterranean from a height of a hundred meters. With a semiarid Mediterranean climate and mild winters, the vineyard enjoys exceptional climatic conditions: the quantity of sunshine and the heat stored during the day by the limestone and released to the grapes at night, and the effect of the Mediterranean which reduces temperature differences and the altitude which counteracts the summer heat. Two types of soil contribute to the generosity, aromatic complexity and liveliness and freshness of this cuvée: the Gargasian marl-limestone at the foot of the cliff is rich in fossils and provides water to the vine stocks all through summer in spite of the absence of summer rain; and the red Mediterranean soil from the Barremian period, formed on compact grey-blue limestone and reclaimed from the garrigue, enables the production of rich and concentrated wines. The grapes are cultivated using sustainable methods that respect the Terra Vitis procedure, guaranteeing the traceability of growing practices which are verified by an independent body. The start of the harvest depends on the ripeness of the grapes, on the analysis of the polyphenols in their skins and on their daily tasting. The picking of ripe, healthy grapes is essential to reach an optimal quality. The grapes are picked by hand and carried in tubs to the cellar within the hour.

At the end of the winter, the wines are transferred into new 225-litre barrels where they are left for 12 to 16 months in the magnificent barrel cellar of l’Hospitalet, which houses around 2,000 barrels. The fine lees are periodically stirred. The finest barrels of each grape variety are selected and blended to produce this wine.