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Gérard Bertrand Cigalus

Gérard Bertrand Cigalus

Cigalus Blanc 2022,
14.5%
€39.95 from O’Briens

Youthful, with lots of lemon zest, rich apricot and peach. Just starting to develop. There is nice grip, subtle toasty oak, hazelnuts, and plenty of body. Nice citrus length. I would keep it 3-5 years when it will take on a rich creamy texture and opulent ripe stone fruits.

Cigalus Rouge 2021
14.5%
€39.95 from O’Briens

Sumptuous ripe dark fruits with subtle mint, dried herbs, and dark chocolate. Complex with polished tannins, and a freshness throughout. Very drinkable now but it will certainly develop further in the next few years.

Every wine has a time and place. I wouldn’t drink the Cigalus Rouge every day, but when I am in the mood for a big rich voluptuous red wine, it certainly hits the spot. I suspect the new oak has been toned down a little in recent years, but it is still opulent, spicy and very well-made. I have tried it twice in recent days and really enjoyed it on both occasions.

I have always really enjoyed the Cigalus Blanc, especially when it has a few years age. I have a dwindling mini-collection going back ten years. When I had dinner with Bertrand some years ago, I was pleased to see he shared my taste, serving a ten year old Cigalus Blanc with some Mediterranean red prawns. A memorable combination.

Over a short period of time, former rugby player Gérard Bertrand has built up an impressive array of estates almost exclusively in his native Languedoc. He now owns sixteen domaines spread out over the region, as well as a recent acquisition in Cahors.

He bought the 75 hectare Domaine de Cigalus in 1995. It is a large single plot located close to Narbonne in the Corbières region. Farmed biodynamically (as are most of his estates) he has planted a wide range of grape varieties, including Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet France for the red wine, and Viognier, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for the red. Each variety is vinified separately, with a portion fermented and aged in new oak.

The Cigalus wines were originally sold as his flagship wines, although they may have been overtaken by Clos d’Ora, in Minervois and the Clos du Temple Rosé, marketed as the most expensive rosé wine in the world.

Posted in: The Wine on Wednesday, Top Drop

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Gérard Bertrand: the man who helped save the Languedoc

Gérard Bertrand

First published in The Irish Times, Saturday 26th August, 2017

Tall and charismatic, Gérard Bertrand commands the respect and loyalty of those who work for him. “People either work here for three months or 10 years,” he says. “If they fit in, they stay for a long time.” Bertrand is one of those responsible for reviving the fortunes of the Languedoc, a massive wine region that runs along much of the Mediterranean coast of France.

In the 1980s few people were interested. For many years it had been a mass producer of cheap jug wine. Bertrand started by selling well-made inexpensive wines to the supermarkets. He also began buying up moribund estates that had old vines, good soils and the potential to make great wine. Today he owns 22 estates and 410 hectares of vines.

He says he worked his first vintage at the age of 10 with his father at Château Villamajou in Corbières, going on to join the business full-time in his early 20s. At the time he was playing senior rugby with Narbonne, his local team – he was captain – and he is now a shareholder. In 2002, he became interested in biodynamic farming and began to experiment with two hectares of vines in his home estate of Cigalus. The wines were fresher, with much better acidity. Convinced by this, he is now in the process of converting all of his estates so that 50 per cent will be organic by 2020, while 30 per cent are already biodynamic.

Biodynamics

“It is a long journey that takes time. At first most of my staff said the boss has gone crazy, but now they will leave if we go back to conventional [winemaking].” Everyone I met had an almost evangelical belief in the project and in biodynamics. “I tell you, it works,” argues Bertrand. “The results are in the vineyard. It is hard for people who don’t believe to understand. My soil was like a fridge; full of everything but cold or frozen. The vines couldn’t eat it! As vignerons, we need to deliver the taste of the grapes and the taste of the terroir. Biodynamics magnifies all of this.” Today, most of his bulk wines are also sourced from co-operatives that practice organic viticulture.

Bertrand’s huge success is the result of clever marketing and good winemaking. His wines are modern, with good ripe fruits, yet remain true to their origins. His greatest achievement may have been to convince consumers that the Languedoc can make high-quality wine. His wines range in price from entry level up to €180 for a bottle of Clos d’Ora from his small remote estate in Minervois La Livinière. The flagship property is Château l’Hospitalet, a restaurant, shop with tasting room, and hotel on the Mediterranean coastline close to Narbonne. It is well worth dropping in if you are in the area this summer

Bargain Wine:

Naturae Merlot 2016, IGP Pays d’Oc Organic

14%, €11.50

 Sulphite-free wine, rich and powerful with stewed dark fruits.

 Stockists: Dunnes Stores

Four to choose from

Domaine de Villemajou 2014, Boutenac, Corbières

14%, €20.95

 Very tasty broad rustic dark fruits and liquorice. Good with cassoulet.

 Stockists: O’Briens

Cigalus Blanc 2015, IGP Aude Hauterive

14.5%, €38

 Voluptuous peach and apricot fruits overlaid with subtle oak. Excellent wine, brimming with character.

 Stockists: O’Briens

Domaine de l’Aigle Pinot Noir 2014, Haute Vallée de l’Aude

13%, €17.95

 Elegant soft piquant raspberry and dark cherry fruits with a smoky note. Good with grilled duck breast.

 Stockists: O’Briens

Posted in: Irish Times

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