Gérard Bertrand : Clos d'Ora 2016

Tasting characteristics and advice for Clos d'Ora 2016 by Gérard Bertrand

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a deep ruby color with subtle violet highlights and remarkable brilliance. This intense garnet hue immediately signals the wine’s power and richness.

Nose

The nose reveals a generous, complex aromatic palette. Dominant aromas of blackcurrant and blackberry are joined by subtle notes of licorice and black pepper, evoking the Mediterranean terroir. Hints of chocolate, mint and sandalwood further enhance the bouquet. Notes of red fruit, herbs, smoke, cypress, grilled meat and peppercorns also emerge.

Palate

On the palate, the wine unfolds with a powerful yet elegant character, expressed through a generous breadth of flavor. The body is full-bodied, wrapped in a velvety texture and silky tannins that caress the palate. Flavors of ripe red and black fruit linger, accompanied by a delicate touch of Provençal garrigue. Notes of caramelized brown sugar heighten aromas of blackberry and charred wood. There are also rich layers of cherry tart and raspberry compote, infused with notes of black tea, mocha and baking spices. The acidity is refreshing and well-balanced, while the alcohol is seamlessly integrated. The long, persistent finish is dominated by spicy and fruity notes, with an intriguing touch of licorice.

Food and wine pairing

Clos d'Ora 2016 pairs exceptionally well with grilled, marinated or slow-cooked Aubrac beef. It also pairs beautifully with meats in general, game and braised dishes. Aged cheeses with intense flavors, Mediterranean grilled dishes, pork skewers with prunes, Antillean blood sausage and quail with grapes are other suitable matches. Mediterranean dishes combining tomato, garrigue herbs and olive oil create a sensory symphony with this wine.

Serving and cellaring

Clos d'Ora 2016 should be decanted one hour before tasting and served at a temperature between 16 and 18°C, ideally 17°C. Classified as an exceptional wine with great aging potential, Clos d'Ora 2016 can reasonably be kept for several decades under proper conditions.

A prestigious red wine from Languedoc, biodynamically farmed

The estate

Founded in 1992, the Gérard Bertrand group now spans seventeen distinct estates across roughly one thousand hectares in Occitanie, in Languedoc-Roussillon. Led by Gérard Bertrand, the group claims to be the world’s largest certified biodynamic wine producer, with nine hundred and thirty hectares farmed biodynamically. A visionary committed to biodynamic agriculture since 2002, Gérard Bertrand was named “World’s Best Winemaker” in 2023 by The Drinks Business, embodying the excellence of wines from southern France through a holistic philosophy that respects the environment and terroirs.

The vineyard

Clos d'Ora is located in La Livinière, in the heart of Minervois La Livinière, at an altitude of 220 meters. This nine-hectare vineyard, enclosed by dry-stone walls, sits on a unique geological contact zone between two distinct formations: the Bartonian and Lutetian formations. This convergence creates remarkable geological complexity, composed of chalk, sandstone and clay soils. The terroir benefits from a Mediterranean climate tempered by cool breezes descending from the Causse during summer nights. The vines are grown exclusively biodynamically, with soil work carried out using mule traction. Syrah, planted on limestone terroir, forms the backbone of Clos d'Ora. Grenache, enhanced by marl soils, brings enveloping power. Mourvèdre adds a velvety, spicy touch, while Carignan, an old variety established in clay soil, contributes the signature freshness.

The vintage

The 2016 vintage represents the culmination of more than fifteen years of thought and research carried out by Gérard Bertrand on this exceptional terroir in Languedoc.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Clos d'Ora 2016 are harvested entirely by hand after leaf thinning before the harvest. Each grape variety and each plot undergoes maceration in separate lots in unlined, temperature-controlled prestressed concrete vats. For Syrah, vinification is carried out with complete destemming of the grapes. For Grenache and Mourvèdre, full destemming is accompanied by a light crushing before vatting under strict temperature control. Maceration remains very gentle, deliberately limiting tannin extraction, with only a few aerated pump-overs and wetting of the cap. Carignan undergoes whole-cluster maceration at higher temperatures to extract maximum aromas. After fermentation, Clos d'Ora 2016 is aged for twelve months in French oak barrels.

Grape varieties

Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan