Wine: A profile of Gérard Bertrand
Bertrand was born in Corbières and grew up among the vines but knows a little of the world from his former life as a professional rugby player. The phrase “Gallic charm” was invented for him.
Bertrand’s wines are available from O’Briens and he was over recently presenting the new vintage of his show stopper wine Clos d’Ora which costs €180 — given its combination of elegance and decadence I could see why — one for the lotto win perhaps.
Bio-Dynamic farming is practised on 350ha of vines by Bertrand and he is utterly convinced that following the cycles of the moon and stars makes a difference to his wines.
He’s even written a rather charming book— Wine, Moon and Stars — outlining his belief in the transformative power of this farming method which mixes Organic farming with the Zodiac and a touch of Voodoo.
Don’t get me wrong I believe a good winemaker will make better wines with bio-dynamics but I think the improvements come from the huge attention to detail required by bio-dynamics, the care and attention lavished on each vine, the holistic approach to the vineyard, the wild yeasts and so on.
I found myself at the tasting with M Bertrand taking a rather aggressive line on the provable nature of bio-dynamics, and we should question it, but ultimately there is only one question to ask — does the wine taste better? I believe it often does, so who is the fool, the winemaker that believes in the memory of water or me for decrying it yet praising the wines?
The Cigalus Blanc is one more to watch for — a blend of Chardonnay with a little Viognier and Sauvignon.
Hugely fragrant with big peach and tropical notes but also a beguiling silky texture and a dry mineral kick on the finish.
A classic Languedoc blend of Mourvedre, Syrah and old vine Carignan and Grenache, from this underrated sub-region surrounding the Pic-St-Loup mountain and the Montagne de l’Hortus. Mourvedre ripens well here and I loved the combination of violet and smoky tar aromas and supple blackberry fruits on the palate.
This is an unusual blend and works surprisingly well, in fact it has significantly more flavour than you could rightfully expect for the price. Ripe pear and tropical fruit aromas and on the front palate with some crisp Chenin acidity on the finish.
Bardolino is next door to Valpolicella and as you might expect the main grape is (old-vine) Corvina along with some Merlot and Rondinella. Rizzardi are a reliable producer and this is ripe, rich and mouth-filling with soft red fruits and lingering black cherry flavours. Try with an Italian style minced beef and pork ragu.
This is from Bertrand’s family estate in Boutenac, one of the Crus of the region, a wine first made by his father 50 years ago under the exact same label. This is almost 50% old-vine Carignan on flint (silex) soils with Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre making up the balance. Flinty mineral aromas seemed to show on the nose with firm structure but also concentrated black fruit.
I’ve praised Bertrand’s dessert reds as good chocolate matches before and you should check out his Maury and Rivesaltes, particularly the aged versions. This has bright cherry liqueur aromas with touches of plum compote — a ripe, supple, fruit-driven palate with sweetness plus acidity, lingering dried cherries, and a chocolate hint on the finish.
This is one of Bertrand’s showcase vineyards for his bio-dynamic philosophy and his winemaking style. Syrah and Carignan are whole-bunch vinified with a touch of Carbonic Maceration, the others de-stemmed etc. Lots of plum fruit, violets and wild heather on the nose, dense and big with a steely back-bone. Perhaps a little young but well worth cellaring.
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