Gerard Bertrand Pays d'Oc---who is familiar?

[Hoke]

Just getting into a triplet of his wines, and had my first taste of his Grand Terroir Tautavel Cotes de Roussillon-Villages.

Wow! Big, intense wine. Great Carignane mixed in with Grenache and Syrah.

Anyone here familiar with this producer?

[Robin Garr]

We get a lot of it here, Hoke. Good QPR, but that's about all I've got.

[Hoke]

Thanks, Robin. The Tautavel really impressed me. Shortly trying Corbieres and Cigalus.

[Robin Garr]

Hoke, I haven't seen the higher-end stuff here, but we get a lot of the basics from Bertrand. My most recent report on a Bertrand, the Minervois, is in this E-letter:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvis ... 121109.php

They also make a very popular and high-QPR Cremant de Limoux.

[Hoke]

Hoke, I haven't seen the higher-end stuff here, but we get a lot of the basics from Bertrand. My most recent report on a Bertrand, the Minervois, is in this E-letter:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/wineadvis ... 121109.php

They also make a very popular and high-QPR Cremant de Limoux.

Thanks again, Robin.

Interesting; very interesting. Although the writing is far better, my descriptors are very much in line with this.

And just an after the fact FWIW FYI, the varietal blend is 40/40 Syrah and Grenache and 20% Mourvedre. The Tautavel is somewhat similar, but of course with Carignan. It also is lean, muscular, highly acidic with relatively tender tannins and a merest whiff of gamy going on. Definitely good QPR too.

Re the Cremant; know that one. Better than Blanquette, for sure.

[Bob Parsons Alberta]

Jamie Goode has a brief article here.

www.wineanorak.com/wineblog/natural-win ... ur-dioxide