"The l'Hortus 2005 Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup Grande Cuvee red reflects a stressfully hot summer, says Orliac, but happily here, he claims, the rains fell right between the white and red grape harvests. Black raspberry, resinous herbs, and wood smoke in the nose lead to a juicy and surprisingly tart-edged black fruit character on the palate, with singed yet bloody meat undertones, slightly detached tannins, and some superficial suggestion of toasted oak by way of coconut and vanilla. An impressive suggestion of wet stone adds to the strong finish of black fruits and meat. This athletically lean wine displays some of the clarity promised by the 2007, if without quite that wine's rich depth or its alluring creaminess of texture."

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