Winemaker Notes
Serve at with roast red meats, stews, stilton & Camembert cheese.
Gerard Bertrand is well-known for producing fantastic wines at excellent prices. Wine Enthusiast recently announced Gerard Bertrand the "European Winery of the Year" stating, "Both landowner and partner of the best winegrowers in the South of France, Gerard Bertrand manages over 325 hectares of vineyards across varying Languedoc terroirs. He fully understands the movement toward expressive, well-balanced and elegant wines that remain accessible and affordable."
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Blackberry, dark plum and dark cherry flavors fill this to the brim, along with effusive spice and cocoa powder notes. The intense finish offers paprika and pepper, with plenty of cream as well. Grenache. Drink now through 2020. 500 cases made.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Of the five Côtes du Roussillon Villages appellations, Tautavel (recognized since 1997) sits farthest east, on the last granite outcropping before the land slopes to the Mediterranean Sea. The infertile soils here force vine roots to dig deep for water and nutrients, which creates wines with more complexity. Tautavel’s superior quality red wines are blends traditionally based on Carignan, but today tend to include more Grenache and Syrah. The minor variety, Lledor Pelut (a variant of Grenache) is also allowed.
Côtes du Roussillon-Tautavel claims a warm Mediterranean climate but its slight altitude (650 ft) keeps it cooler and drier than the plains.