Gérard Bertrand : Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1942

Tasting characteristics and advice for the Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1942 by Gérard Bertrand

Tasting

Appearance

The appearance reveals a magnificent amber color with copper highlights.

Nose

The nose unveils complex aromas of caramelized fruit, cocoa and licorice, reflecting several decades of oxidative aging.

Palate

Generous and full-bodied, the palate unfolds notes of spice, bitter orange, candied fruit and coffee, before lingering into a creamy, persistent finish.

Food and wine pairings

This fortified wine pairs perfectly with blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort, dark chocolate desserts, dried-fruit preparations or spiced pastries. It also matches sweet-and-savory dishes combining meats and fruit.

Serving and cellaring

Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1942 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 13 and 15°C. It is recommended to serve it in small glasses to concentrate its complex aromas.

Other characteristics

This vin doux naturel has an alcohol content between 15 and 17%, typical of the fortified wines of the Rivesaltes appellation. Its richness in residual sugars gives it a smooth texture, perfectly balanced by its tannic structure and freshness.

A historic fortified wine from the Roussillon, bearing witness to a wartime vintage

The estate

Gérard Bertrand now runs one of the largest biodynamic wine estates in the world, with nearly 930 hectares of vines spread across around fifteen properties in Languedoc-Roussillon. A former professional rugby player who became a winegrower in 1987 after the death of his father Georges, he transformed the family legacy into an internationally renowned wine empire. A pioneer of large-scale biodynamic viticulture since 2002, he obtained Demeter certification for 830 hectares of his vineyards. His wines are now distributed in 180 countries, and Gérard Bertrand was named the world’s best winemaker in 2023 by Drinks Business magazine. The Legend Vintage collection reflects his commitment to preserving and showcasing the historic wine heritage of the Roussillon, offering rare vintages of fortified wines sourced from various origins and kept in optimal conditions.

The vineyard

The Rivesaltes appellation stretches across a vast amphitheater of low-lying lands surrounding Perpignan and facing the Mediterranean, covering 85 communes in the Pyrénées-Orientales and 9 communes in the Aude. The vineyard benefits from a Mediterranean climate characterized by more than 2,500 hours of sunshine per year and limited rainfall of between 500 and 600 millimeters annually. The Tramontane wind, blowing about one day in three, naturally keeps the vines healthy by driving away humidity. The soils, particularly diverse, are generally shallow, stony and well-drained, composed of granite, gneiss, schist, red limestone or alluvial terraces depending on the area. This geological diversity contributes to the complexity of the wines of the appellation.

The vintage

The 1942 vintage corresponds to a production made during World War II, a period when French viticulture operated under severe constraints linked to the German occupation, shortages of labor and resources. Production conditions were particularly difficult, with limited technical means and priority given to food crops rather than the production of quality wines. Despite this unfavorable historical context, certain bottles from the 1942 vintage have shown remarkable aging potential, notably thanks to the fortified nature of Rivesaltes vin doux naturel, whose natural stability allowed for extended cellaring.

Winemaking and aging

Legend Vintage Rivesaltes 1942 was produced using the traditional technique of mutage, a process that involves adding grape spirit to the fermenting must to stop fermentation while preserving the natural sugars. This method yields a wine with both residual sweetness and a high alcohol level. After mutage, the wine was aged under oxidative conditions, probably in oak barrels or glass demijohns, for several decades. This long maturation allowed for the gradual development of complex tertiary aromas and the color to evolve toward the amber hues characteristic of long-aged Rivesaltes Ambré.

Grape varieties

Grenache noir, grenache blanc, grenache gris, maccabeu, malvoisie du Roussillon