Gérard Bertrand, Château l’Hospitalet La Reserve, La Clape, Coteaux du Languedoc, France AOC 2013

Gérard Bertrand, Château l’Hospitalet La Reserve, La Clape, Coteaux du Languedoc, France AOC 2013

$18.49 at Crush Wine & Spirits in Bryant, Arkansas (AR)

Syrah 40%, Grenache 30%, Mourvèdre 30%

Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.

Aromatic.  Full-bodied mouthfeel but elegant and balanced flavors.  Black currants, black cherries, and liquorice are the main flavors and aromas.  Long finish.

Gérard Bertrand was born in 1965 in Narbonne in the Languedoc wine region.  When
Gérard was 10 years old, his father, Georges, gave him his first lessons in winemaking at the family estate Domaine of Villemajou in the Corbières wine region.  After he received his degree at university, he became a professional rugby player, first for RC Narbonne and later became captain of the Stade Francais team.  In 1987, when he was 22, his father died in an accident.  For the next 11 years Gérard continued his sports career while he also managed the family winery.  During that period, he created the
Gérard Bertrand wine company. 

Since Gérard took over the family wine business, he has been paving his way to make his mark on the quality of wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region.  With his dedication to sustainability through organic and biodynamic farming practices, his devotion to improving the level of quality, acquisitions of several estates throughout the region, and a diverse selection of wines (reds, whites, rosés, still, sparkling, screw cap and cork at various prices), Gérard has helped raise the reputation of wine from southern France.

Bertrand’s operation has over 2,000 hectares with 350 hectares under vines including his 12 estate wineries.  Château l’Hospitalet is one of those estates near Narbonne.  He bought it in 2002, the same year he switched to biodynamic farming.  He has turned this property, which is in the La Clape natural park near the sea, into a destination winery with a hotel and restaurant.  Since 2004, he has hosted a summer jazz festival at the estate.  The 82 hectares of vineyards overlook the Mediterranean and is protected from the area’s harsh weather by nearby cliffs.