Gérard Bertrand : La Forge 2018

100-year-old Carignan vines with some Syrah. Hand-picked, carbonic maceration, aged in new oak barrels for 12 months. Not pressed or filtered before bottling. Aged in bottle for 12 months. 15,454 bottles made. Smells so like strawberry jam being made! And maraschino cherries. Generously round and ripe on the nose with a light woody fragrance underneath. Fruit is clear as a bell on the palate. The tannins are remarkably gentle for old Carignan, wrapped around and through the fruit like a cashmere scarf, dry but not drying. Remarkable balance for its 15% abv. Ripe, juicy cherries and sumac and very subtle tobacco leaf on the end. (TC)

great aromatic personality, supple length

Bertrand’s homage to his father, the 2018 Corbieres Boutenac la Forge comes from the family’s Château de Villemajou. A selection of old‑vine Carignan and Syrah, all aged in new French oak, it boasts wonderfully expressive raspberry and herbal‑tea aromas. It’s full‑bodied, expansive and perhaps just a bit warm on the palate at 15% alcohol, so be sure not to serve it too warm. Cola, mocha and cedar notes appear on the softly tannic finish, not as major players but as accents to the intense raspberry fruit.