Gérard Bertrand : Les Arbousiers "Cuvée 100" 2021

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Les Arbousiers "Cuvée 100" 2021 by Gérard Bertrand

Tasting

Colour
The colour is a deep, intense purple.

Nose
The nose reveals impressive complexity, blending dark fruit, dried flowers and spicy notes.

Palate
The palate is rich and dense, carried by a generous texture that unfolds with great softness, before a finish prolonged by oak ageing.

Food and Wine Pairings

This wine pairs beautifully with rack of lamb, grilled meats or dishes with Mediterranean influences.

Serving and Cellaring

Les Arbousiers "Cuvée 100" 2021 is best served at a temperature of around 16°C to fully reveal its aromatic richness. It should be stored away from light, at a stable temperature.

A red from Corbières shaped by Fontfroide Carignan

The Estate

The Gérard Bertrand wine company was founded in the early 1990s, five years after Gérard Bertrand, a former rugby player turned winemaker, took over Château de Villemajou. Based in Narbonne, in the Languedoc, the group today brings together several emblematic estates in the South of France, including Domaine de Cigalus and Château l'Hospitalet. Gérard Bertrand, who now heads the group, has established himself as a pioneer of biodynamics on a large scale and is dedicated to revealing the potential of Languedoc terroirs through single-parcel cuvées such as Les Arbousiers.

The Vineyard

The vineyard from which Les Arbousiers "Cuvée 100" originates is located in the Fontfroide terroir, in the heart of the Corbières appellation, between the Cigalus and Villemajou estates. Refreshed by springs and water resurgences, this terroir combines highly draining sandy soils with clays that retain moisture, in a semi-arid climate tempered by the tramontane. The old Carignan vines that make up the parcel, mellowed by time and by this characteristic wind, benefit from short pruning, which helps to control their vigour.

Winemaking and Ageing

Les Arbousiers "Cuvée 100" 2021 is made from hand-harvested grapes: the Carignan grapes are vinified as whole bunches, while the Grenache Noir is destemmed before maceration. After fermentation at a controlled temperature, the wine undergoes a maceration period that allows a gentle extraction of colour and tannins. Ageing then continues in French oak barrels, which support the wine and lend it complexity and length.

Grape Varieties

This wine is predominantly made from Carignan, the emblematic grape variety of Corbières, complemented by a smaller proportion of Grenache Noir.