Château Hosanna Château Hosanna

Pomerol, France

Vintage:2018 (Current)

2011 (Past) | 2014 (Past) | 2015 (Past) | 2016 (Past) | 2017 (Past) | 2019 (Current) | 2020 (Current)

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Château Hosanna  Château Hosanna  2018
  • JS 97
  • V 95
  • D 94
  • WS 93

Reviews

Vinous Media 95 Points March 1, 2021, Neal Martin

“The 2018 Hosanna has a boisterous bouquet that charges out of the glass like a bull in a bullring, delivering intense black fruit, tobacco, sage and earthy aromas, exuberant aromatics that you keep returning to and finding another nuance. The palate is just beautiful. It delivers gorgeous pure black fruit laced with truffle and tobacco, lightly spiced and very cohesive. Smooth as a baby’s bottom, it fans out gloriously on the finish, yet as I mentioned before, it is a long-term Pomerol.”

JamesSuckling.com 97 Points January 14, 2021, James Suckling

“An intense, juicy red with lots of meat, berry, chocolate and walnut aromas and flavors. Pure fruit. It’s full-bodied and dense with lots of fine tannins and richness. So powerful and long. Super length. Very muscular, yet agile at the same time. Try after 2025.”

Wine Spectator 93 Points January 13, 2021, James Molesworth

“This shows bay and tobacco leaf notes along the edges of a core of steeped plum and blackberry fruit. It all melds together through the finish, ending with an echo of warm earth. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2035.”

Decanter 94 Points November 9, 2020, Jane Anson

“A big, muscular, powerful, classic, rich Pomerol; this can take the alcohol in its stride. Expect plenty of coffee, tobacco leaf, cigar and chocolate along with a slice of damson purée and black cherry. Serious, with a ton of years ahead of it.”

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

Winter and spring were very rainy. A late budbreak, noted on April 9th , allowed us to avoid a spring frost. The flowering, from May 23rd to 30th,  went well and the potential quality was significant.

The rainy spring caused a severe attack of mildew, which was thwarted thanks to the considerable efforts of our vineyard workers. Throughout the summer, a team of 60 crop-thinned, adapting the desired yield to the parcel and the age of the vines. Near-perfect balance was the reward for 16,800 hours of meticulous work. Véraison took place from July 26th to August 12th.

The main characteristic of this vintage was the 1,136 hours of sunshine between June and September, a notable record of the past fifty years. Harvest, graced with sunny skies and warm temperatures, took place from September 25th to October 3rd.

Technical Information

Varietals: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc

Harvest Start Date: September 25, 2018

Harvest End Date: October 3, 2018

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)