Château la Sauvageonne “La Villa Rosé” 2020 – Gérard Bertrand

The grapes to produce Château la Sauvageonne “La Villa Rosé” Gérard Bertrand were hand-picked between sunrise and 10am, in order to retain freshness. The Grenache and Mourvèdre came from plots of old vines on the hillsides, which produce low yields of small berries. The Vermentino and Viognier are cultivated on the schist hillsides. The Grenache was co-fermented with the Vermentino and the Viognier. The bunches of Château la Sauvageonne “La Villa Rosé” Gérard Bertrand  grapes were immediately pressed and only the free run juice and the juice from the first press were used. After a cold settling, the fermentation began in vats with natural yeast, followed by a partial fermentation in oak. 80% was matured in French oak.

The estate is located to the North West of Montpellier, situated on the terraces of Causse du Larzac at between 150 and 350 metres of altitude. The vineyard’s orientation, combined with its exceptional terroir gives it a unique character. The landscape is moulded by the region’s volcanic past. The soil consists of stones derived from sandstone or schist for the first 30 centimetres and then a layer of clay. Specifically the soil is made up of “Ruffes” which is a thin, filtering soil rich in minerals such as bauxite, iron and aluminium; and sandstone with shale, which allows the creation of a water reserve. The area is influenced by wide temperature ranges, with warm, sunny days and cooler, fresh summer nights influenced by the sea breeze. These diurnal temperature differences are beneficial encouraging a slow, progressive ripening of the berries.