Chateau Hortevie St. Julien Bordeaux Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Hortevie St. Julien, with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn the best vintages, a history of the property, information on vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Hortevie was purchased by Bruno Borie from the Pradere family just in time to produce the 2006 vintage. Bruno Borie, the owner of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, also located in Saint Julien seems to have added a lot to the quality of this small, obscure Cru Bourgeois estate since he took over the property.

Following the purchase of the vineyard by Bruno Borie, the term Chateau was dropped from the title. All vintages produced by the team of Bruno Borie are now labeled simply, Hortevie Saint Julien. The renaming of the wine started with the 2005 vintage.

Chateau Hortevie Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The vineyard of Hortevie is one of the smaller vineyards in the Saint Julien appellation. The 3.4-hectare, Left Bank vineyard of Hortevie is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.

The vineyard is planted to a vine density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The vines are old, which adds a lot to the wine. On average, they are close to 40 years of age.

The wine of Hortevie is vinified in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. The wine is aged in 25% new, French oak barrels for an average of 12 to 14 months.

Close to 1,500 cases of Hortevie are produced each vintage. The wine is only available from one negociant as it’s an exclusive that was produced for Nathaniel Johnston.

When to Drink Chateau Hortevie, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Hortevie can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Hortevie is usually better with at least 3-5 years of bottle age. Of course that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Hortevie offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 5-12 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Hortevie with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Hortevie is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Chateau Hortevie is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised and grilled dishes. Chateau Hortevie is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms and pasta as well as cheese.

The wine of Hortevie is made by the same team that produces the wine for Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou. In fact, the wine is actually produced in the same cellars as Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou. No wine-making cellars exist at Hortevie.

Previously, the wine was made at another small, Saint Julien estate, Terrey Gros Cailloux. The small estate of Hortevie could be a wine to watch for wine lovers and fans of Bruno Borie that are looking for solid value Bordeaux wine from the Medoc.

Hortevie is no longer in production. 2012 was the final vintage for Hortevie.

www.chateau-ducru-beaucaillou.com