Gérard Bertrand : Château La Sauvageonne "Grand Vin" 2023

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Château La Sauvageonne "Grand Vin" 2023 by Gérard Bertrand

Tasting

Colour

The colour is an intense ruby, with slight brick-red highlights at the rim.

Nose

The nose opens with hints of garrigue, accompanied by notes of jammy black fruit and spice, with subtle touches of gingerbread that add a indulgent note to the whole.

Palate

The palate reveals fine, elegant and velvety tannins, striking a beautiful balance between power and freshness. The silky texture and the mineral freshness inherited from the volcanic terroir lend the wine density and length.

Food and Wine Pairing

This wine pairs ideally with grilled meats, such as those from Aubrac, as well as characterful cheeses such as those from Larzac. It is also a very good match for traditional dishes from the south of France, with their rustic flavours scented with garrigue herbs.

Serving and Cellaring

Château La Sauvageonne "Grand Vin" 2023 can be enjoyed now, ideally served at around 16-18°C, and shows great potential for development over time.

A Terrasses du Larzac Wine Born from a Volcanic Terroir in the Heart of the Languedoc

The Estate

The Gérard Bertrand group saw its wine business take shape in the early 1990s, following Gérard Bertrand's takeover of the family estate of Villemajou. Today at the helm of seventeen estates spread across the Languedoc and Roussillon, covering a total area of nearly one thousand hectares, Gérard Bertrand oversees the entire property. The group stands out for its pioneering commitment to biodynamics, practised on a large scale across almost all of its vineyards, and for its determination to reveal the great terroirs of the south of France.

The Vineyard

Château La Sauvageonne lies in the heart of the Terrasses du Larzac appellation, in the Lac du Salagou area, on land shaped by a volcanic past. The vineyard is divided between the famous red ruffe soils and phonolitic schist soils, nicknamed the "singing stones". The altitude, between 150 and 350 metres, and the proximity of the Larzac plateau create wide temperature variations between day and night, slowing the ripening of the berries. The entire estate is farmed organically and biodynamically, and is Demeter certified.

Winemaking and Maturation

Château La Sauvageonne "Grand Vin" 2023 comes from a manual harvest, carried out grape variety by grape variety as each one reaches optimal ripeness. Maceration takes place over several weeks, allowing for controlled extraction. The wine is then aged in new 225-litre barrels for several months, giving the whole a fine tannic structure and well-integrated woody notes.

Grape Varieties

The blend is based on Syrah, Grenache Noir and Mourvèdre, sourced from the estate's schist and ruffe terroirs.