You can get a much fuller picture of the man and his wines from Marcus’ article and Bertrand’s own website, but the thumbnail sketch is this: Gerard’s father Georges
founded the family’s winery, Chateau Villemajou in Corbières in the ‘40s. When Georges was killed in an auto accident in 1987, Gérard, a budding French rugby star, found himself in charge of the estate at the relatively tender age of 22. From there, he continued to grow the enterprise, adding Domaine Cigalus and Château l'Hospitalet in the Languedoc and Château Laville Bertrou in Minervois, while becoming a major player in a decidedly different game.

And so it was that I made my way to Forté once again, where Gérard Bertrand’s Export Director François Miquel gave a fine presentation of eight wines, under the auspices
of Elite Brands, their Michigan distributor. (François says that Gérard himself will visit in the future, but “he’s walking the vineyards right now.”)

2004 Gérard Bertrand Viognier Vin de Pays D’OC, 100% Viognier, $11.99 – 12.99, 13% alc. Find this wine: Medium straw, with a clean green apple – pear nose, but only the vaguest hint of anything floral; rich mouth feel, fairly fruit forward, striving (and succeeding) to avoid heaviness while achieving freshness, all with a decent finish. Good varietal character, with good QPR (quality – price ratio), from low yield vineyards. According to François, “In the south of France, they drink this with soft, white cheeses.” 100% stainless steel fermentation and aging.

2003 Gérard Bertrand Cabernet Sauvignon Vin de Pays D’OC, $11.99 – 12.99, 13% alc. Find this wine: Dark garnet, with pleasant black currant and hints of chocolate and animal  over an earthy base; almost velvet smooth in the mouth, well balanced, and opens nicely with air. Excellent QPR; fermented and aged in cement tank.

2001 Gérard Bertrand Minervois Terroir Les Matins d’ Aurore, 60% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 15% Carignane, $15 – 17.99, 12.5% alc. Find this wine: Dark garnet, and again, velvety smooth mouth feel, with black currant and black plum anchored by a solid earthy base with a little animal in the background; medium full to full body, nice length, dry and
delicious. In short, my kind of wine, and one that Gang of Pour charter member Zinfidel aka Lowell Boileau would love too. Interesting to compare these impressions with
those of a few weeks earlier.*

(At this point, lunch was served; I chose an all – American grilled burger, medium rare, with a fine horseradish sauce, which was not only delicious, but was most well complemented by the wines that followed.)

2003 Gérard Bertrand Minervois Terroir Les Matins d’ Aurore, $15.99 – 17.99, 13% alc. Find this wine: Dark garnet, with an effusive nose of sweet black plum and black currant, shaded with nice underbrush – briar – bramble; smooth, with good structure, length and balance, and very harmonious. 100% barrel fermented; 1/3 new, 1/3 one year old and 1/3 two year old, all French oak.

2001 Gérard Bertrand Corbières “Les Cailloutis,” 40% Carignane (50+ years old), 30% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, $15 – 17.99, 13% alc. Find this wine: Dark garnet, with a huge nose that screams southern France, very reminiscent of Chateauneuf du Pape, with leather and smoke over dark plums and berries; very fine and smooth and lovely, with good structure and length. I love this wine!

2003 Gérard Bertrand Chateau l’Hospitalet Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape, 60% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, $21.99, 13.5% alc. Find this wine: Dark garnet, having seen one year in oak; François says this is exactly the same as the ’02, only the ’02 is more open now. It must be damned nice, because this one is drinking so well already, with underbrush – garrigue dominating beautifully on the most expressive nose and in the flavors, with black plums, currants and berries filling it all out. Smooth, rich and
eminently drinkable.

My next notes read, “Why do we keep moving on the next wine so quickly?! They keep getting better and better as we taste through them, showing a distinct 'house' style.”

2003 Gérard Bertrand Chateau Laville Bertrou Minervois La Liviniere, $19.99, 14% alc. Find this wine: A dark garnet blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignane (no percentages given), showing leather, smoke and garrigue over dark plums, currants and berries on the nose; very rich on the palate, with the gorgeous fruit coming to the fore on an earthy base, and some black olive adding character, complexity and appeal. A beautiful expression of terroir.

2001 Gérard Bertrand Corbières “La Forge,” 50% Syrah, 50% Carignane (from 100 year old vines), $66.99, 13.5% alc. Find this wine: Dark garnet color, and deep, dark and mysterious, as it continuously evolves in the glass, showing all kinds of earth, underbrush and black plums and currants; full bodied, but not at all heavy, with excellent structure that bodes well for aging, and yet it’s so fine already. Although it saw 14 months of new French oak, it’s only apparent in a subtle way, adding yet another dimension to the wine, rather than dominating, much less detracting. (When asked about the oak regimen from vintage to vintage, François explained that it changes, saying, “This is music played by ear.”) It’s not inexpensive, but I dare say, it’s well worth the money, and as much as, if not more than the others, bespeaks to a distinctive, undeniable “sense of place.”

These are some of the finest wines I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy in quite some time, paying homage to both modern and traditional sensibilities. I will purchase these wines
for our personal pleasure and I will recommend them to anyone looking for truly great buys from the Languedoc and Minervois.

Bravo, Gérard Bertrand!

Notes from three weeks earlier:

*2001 Gérard Bertrand Minervois Terroir Les Matins d’ Aurore, 60% Syrah, 25% Grenache, 15% Carignane, $15 – 17.99, 12.5% alc. Find this wine: Dark garnet, fading to pink at the rim, with intense, dusty black currant and blackberry flavors and aromas, shaded with a notes of iodine and underbrush; very dry, yet rich on the palate, with tannins to take it a
few years down the road, but not to take away from tonight’s enjoyment. Shows some nice aquarium on the nose as it opens. Not all that complex, but nevertheless, very nice for what it is.

2001 Gérard Bertrand Chateau l’Hospitalet Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape Summum $21.99, 13% alc. Find this wine: Dark garnet, fading to pink at the rim, with a kiss of sweet oak over black raspberry, blackberry and accents of sweet spice; very smooth on the palate, losing much of the sweet oak and spice, showing silky tannins, good acidity and a fairly nice finish that gains some earth and underbrush. A definite note of briar – bramble emerges with air, and while the nose has an unmistakable New World slant, anyone who is a fan of Ridge Vineyards would not mind that at all.

Wines by Gérard Bertrand imported by Vin Divino, Ltd.

Reporting from Day-twah,