Gérard Bertrand : Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1979

Tasting characteristics and advice for the Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1979 by Gérard Bertrand

Tasting

Color

The wine displays a magnificent tawny hue with mahogany highlights, reflecting nearly forty-five years of oxidative maturation in oak barrels.

Nose

The nose reveals remarkable aromatic complexity, with notes of cocoa, coffee and dried fruits. Aromas of dried figs, honey and walnuts mingle with hints of caramel and candied citrus. A subtle touch of rancio adds an extra dimension to this deep, beautifully evolved bouquet.

Palate

On the palate, this wine is rich and powerful. Flavors of coffee, caramel, dried fruits, honey and walnuts dominate the palate. The texture is velvety and fully developed, with lovely roundness and a harmonious integration of all elements. The finish, long and silky, lingers on persistent notes of caramel and leather.

Food and wine pairings

This Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1979 pairs perfectly with blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort. It also elegantly accompanies dark chocolate or walnut desserts. This wine can also be enjoyed on its own, as a digestif, to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity.

Serving and cellaring

The Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1979 can be cellared until around 2032. It is best enjoyed at a temperature between 12 and 14°C.

An exceptional tawny Rivesaltes by Gérard Bertrand

The estate

Gérard Bertrand founded his wine business in 1992, five years after inheriting the family’s sixty-hectare estate in 1987. Today, he heads a wine empire of seventeen estates across Languedoc-Roussillon, representing around 850 hectares of vineyards. A pioneer of biodynamic viticulture on a commercial scale, Gérard Bertrand has established himself as the world’s leading producer of biodynamic wines. His strategic acquisition of Château l'Hospitalet in 2002 marked a decisive turning point in the development of his business. A former professional rugby player, he has successfully translated the values of excellence and athletic performance into his approach to winemaking. Awarded the Légion d'Honneur in 2022 and named Master Winemaker of the Year in 2023, Gérard Bertrand embodies the excellence of wines from the south of France.

The vineyard

The Rivesaltes appellation spans eighty-six communes in the Pyrénées-Orientales and nine communes in the Aude, forming one of the largest winegrowing areas in Languedoc-Roussillon. The Mediterranean climate provides around three hundred days of sunshine each year, with hot, dry summers and particularly mild winters. The soils are highly diverse, featuring granitic sands, schist, marl and limestone formations. These exceptional climatic conditions, combined with low rainfall of around 572 millimeters per year, promote sugar concentration and aromatic development in the grapes.

Winemaking and aging

The Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1979 was crafted using the traditional method for vins doux naturels. The mutage technique consists in adding neutral alcohol to the fermenting must to halt yeast activity and preserve the grape’s natural sugars. The wine then underwent extended oxidative aging in oak barrels for several decades, developing the complex aromatic range characteristic of tawny Rivesaltes.

Grape variety

Grenache noir