Château Hosanna Château Hosanna

Pomerol, France

Vintage:2017 (Current)

2011 (Past) | 2014 (Past) | 2015 (Past) | 2016 (Past) | 2018 (Current) | 2019 (Current)

Tech Sheet Download Download PDF with Scores Download PDF without Scores

Château Hosanna  Château Hosanna  2017
  • WA 97+
  • JS 96
  • V 95

Reviews

The Wine Advocate

97+ Points

March 16, 2020, Lisa Perrotti-Brown

“Made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 2017 Hosanna is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and sashays out of the glass with beautiful red rose and violets scents over a core of baked blueberries, mulberries and plum preserves plus wafts of vanilla pod and cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed full of perfumed black and blue fruits, supported by ripe, rounded tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and fragrant.”

Vinous Media

95 Points

February 2020, Neal Martin

“The 2017 Hosanna was one of my favourite crus from Ets J-P Moueix from barrel. Now in bottle, it remains a delightful Pomerol. It has a generous and beautifully defined bouquet with ample red cherry, crushed strawberry and light black truffle aromas that are actually reminiscent of Bélair-Monange. The palate is medium-bodied but denser, thicker than its peers. There is real substance to this Hosanna that puts the relatively lightweight Certan-de-May in its place. It shows good grip with a saline finish. This is a deeply impressive Hosanna. Rejoice!”

JamesSuckling.com

96 Points

December 17, 2019, James Suckling

“Very attractive aromas of violets, purple cherries and plums with notes of chocolate, cedar and baking spices. The palate has a fullish feel with very concentrated, ripe dark plums, wrapped in super long, silky tannins. Quite a deep, flavorful finish, holding long and fresh. Try from 2023.”

Overview

Château Hosanna, a jewel-like vineyard of just 4,5 hectares, is located in the heart of Pomerol’s central plateau, adjacent to some of the most illustrious crus of the appellation: Château Lafleur to the north; Château Petrus to the east; Château La Fleur-Pétrus to the west; Vieux Château Certan to the south.

The vineyard of Château Hosanna has a long and rich history. Prior to its purchase by Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix in 1999, Hosanna was known as Château Certan Giraud, considered one of the premier crus of Pomerol since the 1950’s. It was originally part of the de May family estate, who settled on Pomerol’s plateau in the 16th century and planted one of the appellation’s first vineyards there.

Only the highest plateau parcels of its previous incarnation were selected to form Château Hosanna. The vineyard enjoys a terroir of red gravel and clay on "crasse de fer" which is known for producing wines of great elegance, complexity, and power. Old Cabernet Franc vines, a significant portion of which date back to 1956, contribute a unique complexity to the cru.

A marriage of intensity, purity and balance, its silky touch has led some to describe Hosanna as the feminine counterpart to Trotanoy.

Harvest Notes

The winter of 2016-2017 was dry and sunny. The spring was the third warmest since 1900, with the notable exception of a few cold nights the 27th and 28th of April which resulted in frost damage to certain low-lying terroirs.

The vineyard of Château Hosanna, spared from the frost thanks to its location atop the plateau of Pomerol and to the valiant efforts of our vineyard teams, carried generous yields. We increased the number of interventions in the vineyard (bud-thinning, removing the third cluster, crop-thinning and leaf plucking on both sides of the vines) in order to reduce yields, improve air-flow between clusters and achieve even maturity. These operations were carried out based on the characteristics of each parcel or individual plot within a parcel.

The summer was marked by persistent dry conditions (annual rainfall was 30% lower than average) and a few heat waves. The clay and gravel soils of Château Hosanna, natural hydric regulators, provided a steady water supply to the vines throughout the drought.

Welcome rain in early September rounded out the maturation of the grapes and confirmed the good quality of the vintage. Upon tasting, the berries were gorged with sugar yet fresh at the same time, with intense aromas of small black and blue fruit; the thick skins were rich in soft tannins. Harvest took place from September 18th to 27th.

Technical Information

Varietals: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

Acres: 11.1 acres acres

Soil Composition: Blue clay on red gravel on iron-rich subsoil

Average Vine Age: 40 years

Aging: 16-18 months in French oak barrels (50% new)