The
wines of Gérard
Bertrand, Languedoc, France
Gérard Bertrand, Château l’Hospatilet, Route de
Narbonne Plage, 11100 Narbonne, France; Tel (33) 4 68 45 36 00 Fax
(33) 4 68 45 27 17
Scale matters in winemaking. As a general rule of thumb,
the smaller the better when it comes to wine. There lots of
high-quality small boutique wineries, but at the premium end bigger
companies generally can’t compete: they can pump out the volume, but
at the cost of standardization and blandness.
This is why I find Gérard Bertrand interesting. It’s a
sizeable operation, with some 250 hectares of vines spread across some
fine Languedoc terroirs; in addition, Bertrand operates in partnership
with 40 growers and 10 coops in the region. The result is a range than
spans high-end wines all the way to affordable varietals, with quality
high across the board. The nice thing is that many of these wines are
made in quantities sufficient to satisfy the demands of larger
retailers, so distribution is good.
The man behind the brand is an ageless-looking ex-rugby
international with a thick head of curly hair, Gérard Bertrand. He
preaches the traditional French gospel of terroir, and yet at the same
time he oversees a thoroughly sleek, modern operation – for example,
harvesting is done at phenolic maturity with lab analysis of grape
polyphenols.
Expansion here has been quite recent, with the development
of the brand’s HQ at Château l’Hospitalet (in the La Clape region
of the Languedoc) in 2002. This La Clape property has 52 hectares of
vines, and is now the showpiece of the operation, with extensive
visitor facilities and a large cellar. As well as these vineyards,
Bertrand has 110 hectares in the Corbières, 50 hectares in Minervois
la Livinière, and 40 hectares at Cigalus (this wine is classified as
Vin de Pays d’Oc).
The range of wines produced is extensive and is stratified
into six lines, designated both by AOC and also by grape variety.
‘Parcel’ sits at the top, then there are the ‘H’ range and
‘Properties’ range at the next level, then ‘Terroir’ and
‘Collection’ just below them, then ‘Classic’ at the bottom.
What do they taste like? In short, they are close to
flawless, combining modern, fruit forward flavours with enough
regional character to make them stand out from the crowd. I tried
through the range twice in the space of a six months, and came away
impressed both times. You get the impression that if France had more
wine companies like this, they wouldn’t have too much to fear from
new world competition.
Gérard Bertrand Coteaux du Languedoc 2001 ‘Terroir’
Very rich tarry, spicy nose with rich fruit. The palate shows a
good concentration of rich fruit. It’s a savoury, spicy, dense
modern red. Very good+ 88/100 [incidentally, this is the score I gave
the wine both times, 6 months apart] (£6.99 Tesco)
H de l’Hospitalet Blanc 2002
Lovely full, fruity white with some nutty richness. Nicely
textured with good fruit character. Very good+ 88/100 [again, a
consistent rating] (Tesco £6.99)
Gérard Bertrand Viognier Collection 2002
Nice, fresh fruity wine with a rounded texture and some peach and
apricot notes. Good balance here. Very good+ 87/100 (£5.99 Majestic)
Cigalus Blanc, Vin de Pays d’Oc 2003
Cigalus is a 22 hectare estate, and this is the only one of
Bertrand’s properties that practices biodynamics. 500 cases of the
white are made, a blend of 75% Chardonnay, 20% Viognier and 5%
Sauvignon. Some nice oak here complementing the lovely pure fruit.
Good acidity too. Very good+ 88/100 [I gave the 2001 vintage a rating
of 90/100 some months earlier] (c. £15)
Cigalus Rouge Vin de Pays d’Oc 2001
Rich, ripe blackcurrant fruit nose with a savoury, spicy edge. The
palate is generous and chunky with ripe fruit and some minerally
earthiness. Nice spicy finish. Lovely wine. Very good/excellent (c. £15)
La Forge Corbières 2000
A blend of Carignan and Syrah from old vines. Precisely defined
with a minerally, vividly fruited nose. Perfumed. The palate is
concentrated and intense with vivid fruit and an appealing earthy,
spicy complexity. Quite structured and a superb effort. Very
good/excellent 93/100 (Majestic, Les Caves de Pyrène £19.99)
La Viala Minervois La Livinière 2000
Sophisticated nose of ripe, forward sweet liqueur-like fruit. The
palate is concentrated and smooth with lots of ripe fruit and a nice
savoury, earthy twist. A big wine in a modern style. Very
good/excellent 92/100 (Majestic, Les Caves de Pyrène £19.99)
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