Wines of The Languedoc - Gérard Bertrand

     Thursday September 15, 2016

Reservations Closed
Course Pairing / Description Wine
Hors D' Oeuvres Sriracha & Cilantro Glazed Chicken Brochettes (Micro Provencal herbs) Baked Brie & Escargot Tartlets (Parsley, shallot and garlic)
Crémant de Limoux Rosé is produced 25 km south of Carcassonne, from some of the highest vineyards (250 to 500 meters above sea-level) in the Haute Vallée de l’Aude, and indeed the Languedoc. The appellation is framed by the Chalabrais plateau to the west and the Lacamp plateau to the east. Stretching out towards the Pyrénées, the appellation is remarkably consistent across its 41 communes. The natural protection surrounding three sides of the appellation limits coastal influences and creates an oceanic climate with semi-continental tendencies, including frequent rainfall and a broad temperature range. The grapes are harvested when their acid-sugar balance is at its best. The fruit is transferred to the winery and immediately pressed in a pneumatic pressing machine. The Pinot Noir grapes are not macerated, in order to preserve their color. The must is transferred to the vats for alcoholic fermentation using the same process as that used for still wines. After malolactic fermentation in the vats, the wine is blended together and then transferred to the barrels to mature for 6 to 8 months. The Chardonnay grape is the key ingredient in this blend, contributing to the Crémant’s well-balanced texture and providing the delicate bubbles. The Chenin contribute to Crémant’s vivacity and in time, reveal its exceptional richness. The Pinot grapes supply the exceptional color. Gérard Bertrand’s Crémant de Limoux Rosé boasts a beautiful, salmon-pink robe with glimmering reflections. There are delicate bubbles and an extraordinary vivacity on the palate, with a rich, indulgent texture. This wine has a complex bouquet with long-lasting aromas of red fruit (strawberry and raspberry), backed with hints of toasted bread. 		Gérard Bertrand Crémant de Limoux Rosé 2013
Salad Course Organic Spring Mix, Havarti & Pistachio Salad (Organic mixed greens, glazed pistachios, grape tomatoes and creamy fresh dill and white balsamic dressing with crispy French baguette crouton)
The vines contributing to Gérard Bertrand’s Gris Blanc Rosé are ideally located in Tautavel area, between the Mediterranean sea and Pyrenees mountains, 30 km north to Perpignan in the South of France. The dry and sunny terroir enables Grenache, the emblematic grape variety of the Mediterranean, to express its best aromas. The grapes are picked by hand and pressed directly. All the handling operations are carried out in a carbon dioxide atmosphere to protect the delicate aromas of the Grenache grapes until the start of fermentation which is carried out at low temperatures (from 15 to 18°C). The wine is matured on the fine lees for several weeks before bottling. Gérard Bertrand’s Gris Blanc Rosé is an original rosé with a very pale pink color plus grey and whitish tints. The bouquet reveals delightful red berry scents. There is a slight sparkle on the palate which gives the wine all its freshness and brings out its fruit to the full. The elegant finish is pleasantly fresh and mineral. Grenache is the king of grape varieties when it comes to making light, racy, fruity rosés in contemporary style. Grenache reveals all its suppleness and cherry aromas. Its fig and sometimes cocoa flavors, plus its rounded sensations on the palate, make it one of the great varieties of the South of France. 		Gérard Bertrand Gris Blanc Rosé 2015
Beef Course Grilled Blackberry Barbecued Coulotte Steak (Roasted fennel,, crème fraiche,, garlic and onion whipped potatoes with grilled scallion)
A passionate advocate of the Mediterranean Art de Vivre and owner of benchmark estates in the South of France, Gérard Bertrand reveals all the unique expression of the “Terroirs” of the region. The terroir of the Corbières stretches from the Pyrenees to the Montagne Noire with a kaleidoscope of geology and complex climates, a situation which serves to produce outstanding wines, granted their AOC classification in 1985. The soils consist of gravely clay and limestone with a high percentage of stones and pebbles. All the grapes are hand-picked. CO2 maceration takes between 10 and 18 days for the Syrah and traditional maceration, with total de-stemming, is used for the Grenache and Mourvèdre varieties. After the malolactic fermentation, the various grape varieties are blended and the wine is left to age in 225-litre Bordeaux barrels for roughly 8 months. The wine is kept for several months before marketing. Gérard Bertrand’s Terroir Corbières has a deep, concentrated color. The complex aromas of black fruit come from the carefully controlled extraction during vinification and from the exceptional ripeness of the grapes. This is a wine of distinctive character with all the flavors of ripe fruit and subtle hints of spices and licorice. Its full, fat body lends it a remarkable elegance. 		Gérard Bertrand Terroir Corbières 2013
Lamb Course Slow Braised Thyme & Black Pepper Crusted Lamb Shank (Red wine pan reduction, butter and garlic sautéed asparagus spears, roasted sweet pepper essence)
Tautavel is a village in the Roussillon region, ideally located between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. Tautavel is steeped in history, recognized as one of the cradles of human civilization. 450,000-year-old Homo erectus tautavelensis remains were first discovered here in 1971, and Tautavel’s archaeological museum is now one of the most popular cultural attractions in Europe. The vines are planted across over 49 acres of pebbly soil, on limestone-rich terraces and south-east facing hillsides. The climate is moderated by the famous Tramontane breeze, allowing the fruit to ripen slowly and thoroughly. Selected from the best plots in the Tautavel terroir, the grapes are harvested by hand when they have reached optimum maturity. The grapes are taken exclusively from old Grenache Noir vines, with low yields. No other wine so thoroughly embodies the ineffable spirit of Tautavel. The fruit is vinified in the traditional manner in cement vats and then left for a long maceration process of three weeks, with temperatures maintained below 27°C. Gentle maceration helps to preserve the fruit and its distinctive aromas. The wine is then transferred to oak barrels for 12 months of ageing. Gérard Bertrand’s Tautavel Hommage aux Vignerons boasts a beautiful, deep, garnet-red robe. It has a complex and powerful nose, revealing notes of scrubland, spice and ripe fruit. This Grenache Noir seduces the palate with strikingly fresh notes of dark fruit. This is a complex wine with a beautiful structure, and rich aromas of spice, licorice and toasted bread. 		Gérard Bertrand Tautavel Hommage auv Vignerons 2013
Lamb Course Slow Braised Thyme & Black Pepper Crusted Lamb Shank (Red wine pan reduction, butter and garlic sautéed asparagus spears, roasted sweet pepper essence)
The Minervois region, a vast amphitheater up against the Montagne Noir, has always been a pole of attraction as witnessed by such famous historic monuments as the Château de Minerve. The soils, dating from the Eocene era, cover the stony, essentially limestone slopes of the Montagne Noir. All the grapes are hand-picked. After total de-stemming, the Syrah and Carignan are vinified separately so as to express the full potential of each one. After the malolactic fermentation in the vats, the two varieties are blended and part of the wine is left to age in 225-litre Bordeaux barrels for roughly 8 months. After light fining and bottling, the wine is kept for several months before marketing. The complex aromas of black fruit (black olives and blackberry) in Gérard Bertrand’s Terroir Minervois stem from the carefully controlled extraction process during vinification. Its full, fat body on the palate gives it a remarkable elegance. The rich, fleshy bouquet of aromas lingers on to reveal touches of roasted coffee, blackcurrant and prunes. 		Gérard Bertrand Terroir Minervois 2012
Dessert Course Dark Chocolate Gateau (Salted cabernet and roasted currant caramel,, sweet beignet sticks with fresh raspberries and whipped cream)
At Cigalus in the South of France, to craft premium wines, Gérard Bertrand has opted for biodynamic methods, a system of living vine-growing which enhances the expression of the terroir and the unique characteristics of the grape varieties in the best plots of the estate. The vineyard benefits from the semi-arid Mediterranean climate with its mild, wet winters and hot, sunny summers, enabling early ripening of all the grape varieties. The dryness of the climate with its low rainfall, is offset by deep soils of sediments deposited by the Aussou, the stream bordering the estate, which ensure a longer storage of the winter rains, but the fertility of which is limited by the presence in the sub-soil of a somewhat chalky sandstone dating from the Campanian stage, a secondary era before the emergence of the Pyrenees. The vineyard is managed according to the biodynamic system where the energy of the soil lies at the heart of the process. All the work in the vineyard - plowing and pruning - and in the cellars, is driven by a calendar based on two celestial objects: the moon and the sun. The vines are thus in equilibrium with the soil and are therefore able to give full expression of our terroir in the resultant wines. The Syrah and Carignan grapes are picked by hand once they are perfectly ripe, as judged by daily tastings in all the plots prior to the start of the harvest. All the grape varieties are vinified with traditional maceration with the exception of part of the Syrah and Carignan varieties which benefit from CO2 maceration. The wines from the various grape varieties and plots are kept separately for as long as possible before being transferred into new 225-litre barrels after completion of the alcoholic fermentation and before the malolactic fermentation and then are racked and blended. Gérard Bertrand’s coopers are carefully selected to adapt the choice of the origins of the staves and the type of toasting to each vintage. The wines are kept for at least 1 year before being marketed. Gérard Bertrand’s L’Indomptable de Cigalus has a deep garnet red color with a mahogany rim. The intense nose offers a remarkable aromatic complexity with notes of jammy black fruit, spices, licorice, bracken and truffles. The initial taste on the palate is clean, full-bodied and opulent backed by mellow, smooth tannins. 		Gérard Bertrand L’Indomptable de Cigalus 2013