Gérard Bertrand extends range for Côte des Roses

Languedoc producer Gérard Bertrand has extended its popular rosé wine label Côte des Roses to include a Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir bearing the same quirky design as the flagship rosé blend.

The wine business is adding a red made from Pinot Noir, and two varietal white wines made with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to the brand portfolio.

In addition, Gerard Bertrand is also selling the wines in half bottles, all of which will carry the same unusual design as the original rosé blend, featuring an imprinted rose on the base. The entire range will be debuted at ProWein in Düsseldorf next month.

Around 10% of the Sauvignon Blanc spends five months in French oak barrels, while the rest is vinified in temperature controlled steel vats. The resulting wine is said to have flavours of guava, passion fruit and citrus, with “a lot of freshness and minerality”.

The Chardonnay, which is fermented for 15 to 30 days in steel, has fresh aromas of citrus and flowers as well as notes of candy, pear and pineapple, according to the producer.

The Pinot Noir, the first red wine launched under the Côtes de Roses brand name, is partially matured in 225-litre barrels for several months to give it “aromatic complexity”. The end result is said to have notes of Morello cherry, raspberry and spice, with light tannins and an “elegant” finish.

The Languedoc winemaker’s portfolio, which is distributed in 163 countries and concentrates on high end retail and on-trade, includes biodynamics wines, rosés such as the original Côte des Roses, sparkling wines from Limoux, white Sauvignon and Chardonnay and red blends from some of the most prestigious terroirs of the region.

Bertrand started out in winemaking more than 30 years ago, following in the footsteps of his father Georges, whom Bertrand claims was one of the first winemakers in the Languedoc region to break away from producing entry level wines, and to concentrate on terroir.