Gerard Bertrand Wines at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

We were recently invited to a night of Jazz and Gerard Bertrand fine wines, hosted by Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, a couple of weeks ago.

Gerard Bertrand was born and raised in the South of France. Making wine with his father, Georges, since the age of 10, Gerard Bertrand offers the full range and diversity of wines from the region – red, white, rose, varietal, appellation, estate, still, sparkling, and also dessert wines.

the Gerard Bertrand wines

Nestled in a bowl in the hills is Chateau L’Hospitalet, the HQ of Gerard Bertrand. Gerard is something of a phenomenon in the south of France. A local boy made good, he first hit the headlines as a professional rugby player for Stade Francais and the French national team. Whilst still playing, he inherited the family’s wine business and has gradually built it up, acquiring vineyards and estates across the Languedoc. The jewel in the crown is L’Hospitalet, which he bought in 2002.

a short introduction to the wines, then dinner is served

The estate is surrounded by 52ha of vines but in addition to a fully functioning winery it also comprises a hotel, restaurant, conference center and public cellar door. Incredibly, it is the third most visited tourist attraction in the region, losing out only to the old city in Carcasonne and an African themed safari park!

the buffet spread and wines are nicely laid out at the conservatory of Le Meridien KL

What is even more incredible is that despite the size of the business and the obvious commercial push, the wines are outstanding. Not many wineries manage to combine quality and quantity, balancing the volume demands of the market with the desire to make brilliant wines that genuinely reflect their terroir. Bertrand and his team deserve a lot of praise for doing just that.

Of the wines we tried that night, my favourites were the Viognier L’Hospitalet 2009 – Rich, peachy nose with bags of flavour. Hints of spice and refreshing acidity. A ripe, summery wine. Easy to drink and chill out to, with your mates. I also liked the Gerard Bertrand Reserve Spéciale Carignan Vieilles Vignes 2009 – This red had a highly perfumed nose with ripe, dark berry fruit and sweet spice notes. Rich, full bodied and a well balanced wine, this red is acidic and full of supple tannins. Maybe I am biased because it went great with dinner!

the live pasta counter that I can never resist..

the super addictive carbonara!

great wine pairing for the night.. ciki approves! (photo credit : kyspeaks)

a great selection of starters – I never, ever pass on oysters!

Enter the heavier mains and red meats that are my choice for dinner.. that and pasta!

All in all, a great night out! Don’t mind stocking up the wine cellar, on the Bertrands for the next couple of months!

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