The Bertrand family
Demeter biodynamic wine from the Gérard Bertrand estates
Demeter-certified biodynamic farming for a terroir wine closer to nature
While organic farming and its "AB" label are now well known to all, biodynamic wine and its "Demeter" label are far less so. And yet, biodynamics is a farming method that takes the concept of "all-natural" even further than organic.
This cultivation method seeks symbiosis with nature. The aim is to strengthen organic life and the exchanges between the soil and the cultivated plant, with the primary consequence of no longer needing to use chemical products to protect it (pesticides) or feed it (fertilisers). With biodynamics, the winegrower tends to the vine, strengthens it, and harvests its fruits, without exhausting it.
For Gérard Bertrand, a fervent defender of the environment, biodynamics is a true philosophy of life. It was in 2002, at the Domaine de Cigalus, that he converted his first vineyard to biodynamics. Convinced of the benefits of this farming method that works in harmony with nature, he today applies the principles of biodynamics across all the vines of his estates in Languedoc-Roussillon, which now represents 950 hectares spread across the entire Occitanie region.
What is a biodynamic wine?
A biodynamic wine is a wine produced according to the principles of biodynamic farming.
Biodynamics, or biodynamic farming, is a cultivation method aimed at regenerating and strengthening the soil and plants through the use of natural preparations such as horn manure or organic compost. Biodynamics also takes into account the influence of the planets, and in particular the lunar calendar. In a biodynamic farming system, all chemical and synthetic products are strictly forbidden. Only organic fertilisers are used. Furthermore, unlike traditional wines and organic wines, a biodynamic wine receives very few oenological inputs during the vinification phase.
Discover the full range and collection of biodynamic wines by Gérard Bertrand.
Biodynamic wines, ambassadors of terroir wines
Gérard Bertrand, as an unconditional lover of the terroirs of the south of France, and in particular those of Languedoc-Roussillon, crafts in each of his estates outstanding biodynamic wines with a strong identity. This is notably the case at the Domaine de l'Hospitalet, producing Château l'Hospitalet La Clape Grand Vin Rouge, wine voted best red wine in the world by IWC in 2019. Indeed, through its cultivation method that follows the plant's natural rhythm rather than productivity, biodynamics allows the grape to draw its resources directly from the terroir and the different layers of the soil.
The grape is thus no longer dependent on a drip feed of chemical fertilisers to develop artificially. Thanks to a rich organic life in the soil, the vine feeds itself from the living humus of its terroir. With its benefits, the grape develops optimally, concentrating sugar, trace elements and vitamins. The wine produced from this grape then perfectly expresses where it comes from — its terroir, its history.
Cultivating the vine through biodynamic farming thus makes it possible to produce powerful and deep wines, fruitier and more balanced than traditional wines. A vine cultivated biodynamically allows the wine to express the full potential of its terroir, its qualities and its own unique characteristics.
The Demeter label
Today, while many winegrowers pride themselves on practising biodynamic cultivation of their vines, only obtaining the Demeter label can certify compliance with a strict and completely transparent set of specifications. Present in 53 countries, the Demeter label incorporates the requirements of the Organic label while adding stricter measures, particularly regarding inputs, in order to respect the principles of biodynamics. Of course, in biodynamics, pesticides and chemical fertilisers are strictly prohibited.
With an even more ecological vision, Demeter biodynamic wines automatically comply with the organic farming specifications. They therefore also carry the organic "AB" label.
However, while today the Organic label ensures consumers that they are dealing with a wine that has not used chemical products (fertilisers, pesticides), many so-called "industrial" practices are still permitted during the production of an organic wine and do not allow the wine to express its full potential.
Biodynamic farming, through the Demeter label, thus represents a higher level of requirement in terms of a more natural and more artisanal production process. This is notably the case for Clos d'Ora (organic and Demeter red wine), and Clos du Temple (organic rosé wine and Demeter), two estates cultivated biodynamically producing an exceptional wine and using animal traction (a mule) to work the soil.
The qualities of a biodynamic wine
Grown from vines cultivated using natural methods, without synthetic products, biodynamic wines offer a rich and delicate flavour palette. Whereas a traditional wine presents only two or three predominant aromas, a biodynamic wine is far more complex, expressing a multitude of flavours and aromas.
The wine is delicate on the nose, silky on the palate, with a prominent place given to the fruit. More mineral and more balanced, biodynamic wine represents the culmination of the work of the vine cultivated with love and patience.
With a biodynamic Demeter wine, digestibility is also significantly improved, thanks in particular to its very low sulphite content. The sulphite content of a biodynamic wine is indeed at least 30% lower than that of an organic wine.
People with digestive difficulties will thus find a wine more easily assimilated by the body.
Discover further explanations on the different types of wine:
Rosé wine
Organic Languedoc wine
Organic rosé wine, the best rosé wine and the Languedoc rosé wine
And to go further:
How rosé wine is made : how is it produced?
Gérard Bertrand, the story of a family passion for the vine
The Châteaux and Estates of Gérard Bertrand
The online shop for Gérard Bertrand wines
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