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The Languedoc-Roussillon region in Southern France is actually a region within a region. The large Langedoc has nearly 600,000 acres of grapes. Within the region are several sub-regions singled out for producing particularly higher quality wines than the region as a whole. Roussillon's 95,000 acres is considered the best. Viticulture was probably introduced here via the Greek establishment of Marseilles in the 7th century BC and developed by the Romans well into the 3rc Century AD. It seems very likely that the Muscat vine was the first to be introduced here in an effort to copy the popular sweet wines of the Aegean islands. The region earned a reputation for its Muscat by the 14th century, which probably pre-dated that of the Languedoc. Sweetness was often concentrated by leaving Muscat grapes to shrivel on the vine, a practice that continued at least until the late 19th century. This specialization of sweet wines was to be its downfall in the 20th century as strong, sweet wines were decidedly unfashionable, and the region's table wines were regarded as useful only for blending with the lighter wines of the Languedoc. Gerard Bertrand quickly developed a wine merchant business by selecting the right grapes to be planted in these diverse soils and climates. He put together a group of fine wine estates that share his sense of what was called for. In order to express his talent as a winemaker beyond his native appellation of the Corbieres, he chose to invest in other wines of the Languedoc with strong potential. In 1994 he bought the Cigalus Vin de Pays d,?'Oc parcels. Three years later he purchased the 135 acre estate of Chateau Laville-Bertrou in Minervois. He has been at the forefront of the qualitative changes made to a good number of Languedoc terroirs and estates. He vociferously points to the quality of the region which is steadily rising and fights for its recognition by the INAO (Institut National des Appellations d,?'Origine). In return of his efforts, and as proof of the quality of his wines, consumers have been beating a path to Gerard Bertrand wines and continue to do so. Chardonnay is a relative newcomer here. But in the hands of a master winemaker like Bertrand, it shines as bright as any made in more renowned areas. February 2010 Limited Series Newsletter (.pdf)
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