24. Gerard Bertrand
Bertrand Degat
Immacolata Cannavo
Paolo Rancati
Pietro Ghilardi
Château de l'Hospitalet, Route de Narbonne Plage
FR - 11100 Narbonne
Aude
+33468452850
i.cannavo@gerard-bertrand.com
www.gerard-bertrand.com/
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Certification:
Demeter
Wine-growing region:
Sud de France
Gérard Bertrand first joined in a wine harvest and discovered his passion for wine in 1975, in the vineyards of the Villemajou Estate in Corbières. He went on to learn more about wine for 12 years alongside his father, Georges Bertrand. Attaching great importance to values such as performance and excellence honed on the rugby pitch, Gérard Bertrand continued his quest to bring out the best in terroirs from his region and promote them worldwide. With that in mind, he decided to take on the running of the family's Villemajou Estate after his father died in an accident in 1987. Five years later, he created the Gérard Bertrand wine company to develop a range of products from the South of France. Now, the group is owner of 17 Estates.
Retailers:
Ghilardi Selezioni
Via Gerolamo Zanchi 10 - 24126 Bergamo (BG)
2022 Clos du temple
AOP Languedoc Cabrières
Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Viognier
Rosé wine
Demeter certified
Located in the heart of the Languedoc region in the South of France, Clos du Temple was born on the historic terroir of Cabrières, the cradle of rosé wines. The terroir owes its singularity to its geological genesis. The contact between schist, limestone and the hilly terrain is at the origin of a complex network of underground water circulation, favouring an exceptional natural water supply to the vineyard, and the emergence of a source of water of great purity. Its altitude of 240 metres combined with its south-south-western exposure contribute to the production of a perfectly balanced wine with great aromatic freshness. At Clos du Temple, we have decided to cultivate the vines using Biodynamic methods and to use horses and mules in order to encourage the connection between the mineral, the plant, the animal and the human.
Each plot is harvested at the optimum date and vinified separately. transport time is minimal. Before fermentation at low temperature, a 24-hour settling process is carried out at a controlled temperature of 8 to 10°C, without the addition of sulphur. The wine is matured in new barrels selected with precision according to the origin of the wood, for 6 months on fine lees with stirring. The wines are blended on the fruit day.
Clos du Temple reveals remarkable complexity and is characterized by notes of red fruits where aromas of blackcurrant, exotic fruits, pineapple are mixed, but also by minerality and sensational freshness.
2020 Clos d'Ora
AOP Minervois La Livinière
Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan
Red wine
Demeter certified
A leaf thinning takes place before the harvest and the grapes are entirely hand-picked. Each grape variety and each parcel is macerated in separate batches in an unlined, thermoregulated precast concrete vat. For the Syrah, a vatting and vinification of destalked grapes is made. For the Grenache and Mourvèdre, there is a destemming and light crushing before the vatting under strict temperature control. A very gentle maceration, limiting the extraction of tannins. Some pumping over for aeration, and humidification of the cap only. The whole bunches of Carignan are going through the vatting at higher temperatures to extract the maximum of aromas.
Clos d'Ora has a brilliant deep ruby colour.
Its powerful and elegant character is revealed on the palate by intense aromas of black fruits and subtle, melted tannins.
Thanks to its sophisticated vinification and maturation, Clos d'Ora benefits from a remarkable amplitude and length in the mouth. Clos d'Ora is an exceptional wine with great ageing potential.
Decant 1 hour before service. Best served at 17°C with a grilled, matured or slowly cooked beef from Aubrac.
2022 Villa Soleilla
Vin de France
Roussanne, Vermentino, Viognier
Orange
Demeter certified
Each plot is vinified separately with an eye for detail and careful daily attention paid to every single step. The grapes are vatted as whole bunches to enable carbonic maceration in vats at a controlled temperature of 21 to 25°C to ensure perfect balance between tannins, acidity and aromas.
Then comes pressing. At this stage, a distinction is made between:
The free-run juices, which are placed in different French oak barrels using a nuanced selection of Allier and Vosges oak, with a light toast. They then complete the fermentation process, emphasising their tannic side as they do so. The press juices are placed in clay amphoras, glass amphoras and dual-material ovoid vats (stainless steel and wood). Here, the juices become silky, rounded and rich.
Appearance: a beautiful, clear, golden colour with delicate touches of light.
On the nose, subtle aromas of Oriental tea, fragrant incense, citrus zest (mandarin) and acacia honey.
On the palate, a harmonious structure is balanced out well by notes of apricot, bitter orange, candied orgeat and salty, creamy butter notes. The finish reveals a pleasant, delicate salinity in keeping with the La Clape terroir, with quince and mineral touches. The wine is full and dense on the palate, with beautifully lingering aromas and a harmonious structure of tannins.
Ideally, it should be drunk at 14°C with stewed lamb and apricots, roasted vegetables with mild spices and fresh goat's cheese, or cow's or ewe's cheese matured over a long period.
2022 Château l'Hospitalet Grand Vin
AOP La Clape
Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Vermentino Viognier
White wine
Demeter certified
The harvesting date is triggered grape variety by grape variety, when the grapes have reached their optimum ripeness level after daily tastings.
The grapes are picked by hand and undergo a pneumatic pressing as soon as they arrive to the winery, during which the press juices are separated. After a static settling of the musts, the juice undergoes an alcoholic fermentation in barrels, with a temperature control to preserve the freshness and integrity of the aromas.
The maturing is performed in barrels during 7 to 8 months through to the spring equinox, with regular stirring for two months. After a light fining, the wine is bottled.
The dress is clear and golden yellow in color.
The nose is complex mixing white fruits, floral notes and with a hint of linden.
The palate is of a beautiful density, warm and finesse. There are woody notes, garrigue and white-fleshed fruits.
Serve at 11°C with fried scallops, fish cooked in sauce, or as an aperitif.
2021 Château l'Hospitalet Grand Vin
AOP La Clape
Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache
Red wine
The start of the harvest depends on the ripeness of the grapes, on the analysis of the polyphenols in their skins and on their daily tasting. The picking of ripe, healthy grapes is essential to reach an optimal quality. The grapes are picked by hand and carried in tubs to the cellar within the hour. They are then sorted and destemmed before being transferred to temperature-controlled vats.
Each grape variety is vinified separately. The maceration lasts between 20 and 25 days. At the end of the winter, the wines are transferred into new 225-litre barrels where they are left for 12 to 16 months in the magnificent barrel cellar of l’Hospitalet, which houses around 2,000 barrels. The fine lees are periodically stirred. The finest barrels of each grape variety are selected and blended to produce this wine.
This wine has a relatively dark ruby colour.
The nose is truffled and reveals notes of violet and liquorice.
The palate is balanced, fresh, with a good length carried by very silky tannins. It reveals spicy notes, of garrigue and blackcurrant buds.
Serve at 16 ° C with a rack of lamb, game birds or mature cheeses.
2021 Cigalus
IGP Aude Hauterive
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache, Caladoc, Carignan
Red wine
Demeter certified
Since 2002, a part of the vineyard is cultivated using biodynamic methods. In order to achieve this result, 2 fundamental principles are respected: a yield control (25hl/ha) with vines over 15 years old, no mineral nitrogenous fertilization, a short pruning in cordon de Royat, green harvesting; and an optimal maturity with a perfect sanitary state, by sorting the grapes if necessary, a classic maturity control doubled by analyses on polyphenols, a daily tasting of the berries from each plot to trigger the harvest. The wines are put into new 225L barrels at the end of the alcoholic fermentation and before the malolactic fermentation, the racking and blending. A selection of coopers is made in order to adapt the choice of wood origins and the type of toasting to each vintage. The wine is kept for a minimum of 1 year in the bottle before it is marketed.
Intense ruby colour with a mahogany hue.
The bouquet shouts concentrated, very ripe black fruit, grilled spice and toasted oak. The palate is lush and opulent with velvety tannins. The aromas of black fruit - blackberries, black cherries and plums - reappear with a complex empyreumatic web leading into mint. The finish is long with a perfect balance.
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