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L'Hortus is a jagged mountain located in the hills between Montpellier and the Herault river valley. The Pic Saint Loup mountain can be found directly across a narrow valley from the Hortus, and in fact, they were once a single entity. The geological slice that separated it into two mountains is evident when viewed from Jean Orliac's vineyards where each mountain's cliff side towers over the valley creating an impression not unlike that which one has in Yosemite valley. Viewed at dawn or dusk in the spring or fall, when the sun rises through one end of the valley and sets at the other, is an other-worldly experience.
The Romans, and later the French in the middle ages, grew grapes in this area, but the vineyards were not replanted after the phyloxera epidemic around the turn of the century. The more level, low-lying, easier to farm areas were chosen to replant, leaving this area to the mountain climbers and goats.
Jean Orliac bought and began re-planting his 50 acres in 1970. An agriculture professor at the University of Montpellier, he decided to give up his career there for his first passion, growing wine. Naming his domaine after the towering Hortus mountain, his wines bear the appellation of Pic Saint Loup (the other mountain).
His vineyards are exposed both north and south. Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are planted facing north, because of their preference for a more temperate climate and Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier grow on the southern exposed slopes. The resulting red wines have a perfect balance of the spicy, smoky syrah and the bright fruit and floral nose of the mourvedre and grenache. The wild savory, thyme and rosemary which grow around the vineyards add to the the beautiful aromas in this wine. Yields at this domaine do not exceed 40 hl/hectare making for wines with beautiful concentration and balance.
The Grand Cuvee Rouge is Jean Orliac's benchmark wine. Americans scrambled for the few imported cases of his 2003 that received 93 points in the Wine Spectator. However, this vintage is far superior with layers of complexity and perfect harmony that keeps you just shaking your head,.... the wine beckons for another translucent sip....and another! Rich, dark ripe fruit in the nose with just a hint of toasty oak. Very smooth ripe tannins round this out nicely. Extraordinary! Yields are about a ton per acre. Aged in new French oak for about 15 months.
40% Mourvedre, 40% Syrah, 20% Grenache.
Photograph: Pic St. Loup and Mt. Hortus (right) - July 2007
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