This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for White Languedoc-Rousillon under £15 went to Gérard Bertrand, Réserve Spéciale Viognier, IGP d'Oc 2013 (13.5%)
Tasted against:
- Domaine de Castelnau, Chardonnay Les Ronces, IGP Pays d’Oc 2013
- Domaine de Castelnau, Viognier l’Ile, IGP Pays d’Oc 2013
- Domaine de la Perdrix, Joseph-Sébastien Pons, Côtes du Roussillon 2012
Profile:
Gerard Bertrand was born and raised in the Languedoc and claims to have helped out for the first time in the family winery of Domaine Villemajou aged 10, with his father remarking that ‘by the time you’re 50, you’ll already have 40 years’ experience’. With Bertrand’s 50th birthday less than a year away, he’ll doubtless be contemplating these words, with the proof around him that he has put this experience to good use.
He is now the owner of eight wineries, totalling 470 hectares – all either certified organic or moving in that direction, with biodynamic certification the ultimate aim. he additionally partners 40 other estates, as well as working with10 co-operatives.
This Trophy-winner, with its moreish, textured, peachy character, comes from a variety of cooler hillside sites around the Languedoc, with tightly controlled yields necessary for aromatic complexity. Bertrand is coy about the volume produced, choosing instead to note that ‘the figure i remember is the 15 million pruning cuts endured each year by the workers in the chilly winter vineyards’.
Written by Decanter
