Gérard Bertrand : Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1945

Characteristics and tasting advice for Gérard Bertrand’s Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1945

Tasting

Appearance

This vintage displays an amber hue with pronounced brick highlights, a testament to nearly eight decades of oxidative maturation in wooden barrels.

Nose

The aromatic bouquet reveals remarkable complexity, with notes of truffle accompanied by concentrated dried fruits such as hazelnuts and currants. Warm hints of cinnamon further enhance this evolved aromatic profile.

Palate

On the palate, the wine reveals a texture of exceptional softness, described as pure velvet. The whole seduces with its elegance and a lingering finish that extends with grace and refinement.

Food and wine pairings

This fortified wine pairs perfectly with blue cheeses, notably Roquefort, where its sweetness harmoniously contrasts with the cheese’s salty character. It also pairs brilliantly with walnut cheeses and dark chocolate desserts. Nut-based pastries, such as a walnut cake, are also an excellent match. This wine can also be enjoyed as a digestif, possibly accompanied by a Cuban cigar.

Serving and cellaring

Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1945 should be stored away from direct light, in a cool environment with a stable temperature. It is recommended to serve it at around 12°C to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity and silky texture.

A historic Roussillon vin doux naturel by Gérard Bertrand

The estate

Gérard Bertrand embodies one of the most influential figures in contemporary Languedoc viticulture. Heir to a family tradition that began in 1920 with the first plantings by his grandmother Paule in Corbières, he now leads a wine empire of seventeen estates spread over around nine hundred hectares across Languedoc-Roussillon. Since founding his company in 1992, Gérard Bertrand has transformed the perception of wines from the South of France on the international stage, placing biodynamic farming at the heart of his philosophy. Named Winemaker of the World in 2023 by The Drinks Business, he exports his wines to one hundred and eighty countries and generates a turnover of two hundred million euros.

The vineyard

The Rivesaltes appellation, one of the oldest in France with its Appellation Contrôlée status obtained as early as 1936, extends over eighty-six communes in the Pyrénées-Orientales and nine communes in Aude. The vineyards rest on diversified terroirs composed of coarse granitic sands, gneiss, brown and black schist, as well as red limestone. These distinctive soils, combined with the Mediterranean climate, allow the grapes to reach exceptional ripeness, ideal for producing vin doux naturels of great complexity.

The vintage

The 1945 vintage is of particular historical significance, marking the end of the Second World War in Europe. That year was characterised by exceptionally difficult production conditions, with limited resources and a reduced workforce. Despite these constraints, the winegrowers of Rivesaltes succeeded in producing wines that today bear witness to the resilience and know-how of that troubled time.

Winemaking and ageing

Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1945 was produced according to the traditional method for vins doux naturels. The white grapes were pressed and then fermented in liquid phase, while the red grapes underwent skin maceration during fermentation. The addition of neutral alcohol stopped the fermentation before the sugars were fully consumed, thus preserving the fruit’s natural sweetness. The wine then benefited from long oxidative ageing in wooden barrels, gradually developing its amber colour and complex aromatic palette over the decades.

Grape varieties

This Roussillon wine is a blend of grenache noir, macabeu and grenache gris.