Gerard Bertrand
It was back in 1975, among the vineyards of Chateau de Villemajou in the heart of the AOC Corbières that Gérard Bertrand harvested his first grapes and discovered his passion for wine. From there he perfected his knowledge by working alongside his father, Georges Bertrand, for 12 years.
Strongly attached to the values of excellence, matured in his early career as a professional rugby player, today Gérard continues in his mission to enhance the best terroirs of the South of France.
What began as a small family estate during his leadership has transformed into the region's most important producer. The initial Chateau Villemajou estate was joined in the 1990s by Domaine de Cigalus and in 2002 by Chateau Hospitalet, in the heart of the La Clape natural park. Today Gérard Bertrand counts 11 Chateau and produces all the major appellations of Southwest France. He has also been among the nation's leading producers of organic and biodynamic wines for years.
Gérard is convinced of the importance of organic, sustainable organic and biodynamic farming. As early as 2002, he began the conversion to biodynamic farming of Domaine de Cigalus, the winery where he resides. For Bertrand, organic and biodynamic viticulture strengthens the link with the environment by allowing the maximum expression of terroir in the wines. Difficult and intense work that the group now carries on in several Chateaus including Cigalus, Hospitalet, Clos d'Ora, Sauvageonne and Clos du Temple.
In addition to producing some of the region's most important red wines, the winery has invested heavily in the development of important rosé wines. Gérard Bertrand now produces one of the world's best-selling rosé wines, Gris Blanc, and its flagship wines, Sauvageonne La Villa and Clos du Temple, were voted best rosé wines in the world by Drink Business in 2017,2018 (La Villa) and 2020 (Clos du Temple). Clos du Temple is now the most expensive and renowned rosé wine in the world.
