Winemaker Notes
A former hunting lodge owned by Colbert, Chateau des Bertrands is a 494-acre estate planted with 190 acres of vines, located at the heart of the Maures Nature Reserve just 20 miles from Saint-Tropez. The Bertrands terroir has been considered a flagship Côtes de Provence wine growing area with unique crystalline pink stone and sandy soils. Chateau des Bertrands yields rosés with rare aromatic zest and complex minerality.
“With respect to the stunning and protected surrounding nature, my goal is to craft delicate Provence Rosés that depict the Bertrands terroir— sand and sandstones. By harvesting at night and using cold fermentation, we can produce the freshest and most elegant Rosés, which, in my opinion, are very alluring and enjoyable.” - Alexis Cornu, Chateau des Bertrands winemaker
Cotes de Provence is an extensive but valuable appellation that includes vineyards bordering the main Provencal appellations. Its sites vary from subalpine hills, which receive the cooling effects of the mountains to the north, to the coastal St-Tropez, a region mainly influenced by the warm Mediterranean sunshine.
Here the focus is on quality rosé, as it defines four fifths of the region’s wines. Following in the rosé footsteps, a lot of new effort is going into the region’s red production as well. A new generation has turned its focus on high quality Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan. Cotes de Provence white wines, which represent a miniscule part of the region as far as volume, are nonetheless worthy of consideration and can include any combination of Clairette, Semillon, Ugni Blanc and Vermentino.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.