Yann Bertrand

Beaujolais
France
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Yann Bertrand

Beaujolais
France
France
PRODUCER
Yann Bertrand
ESTABLISHED
1992
FARMING PRACTICE
Biodynamic, Certified Organic, Organic
REGION
Beaujolais
France
CITY / VILLAGE
CLIMATE
Continental
ELEVATION
SIZE
7.5 hectares

About

Growing up in Fleurie, Yann Bertrand never thought he would become a winemaker. He briefly enrolled in commerce at a local university, then traveled around the French Alps for a few years. When applying for local jobs, he noted that he was the son of a vigneron and soon found himself working at wine bars and wine shops, surrounded by passionate wine geeks and artisan winemakers who often came to deliver wine themselves. Tasting wines in a new way, he began to ask himself questions, and eventually decided that the métier of a winemaker would be interesting to him if he pursued it with the same passion as the role models he encountered.

Returning to the Beaujolais, Yann began to learn from the incredible circle of producers that he never knew before – including well known people like Jean Foillard and Yvon Métras, as well as the behind-the-scenes guru Jacques Neauport (the quiet right-hand to the legendary Jules Chauvet). The entire Domaine Les Bertrands encompasses one 7.5 hectare vineyard, mostly in Fleurie, with a bit over the line in Morgon. The vineyard is loaded with ancient vines–the youngest are 30 years old, with the oldest vines at 110 years of age. His parents had been slowly moving in the direction of organic viticulture since taking over the family domaine in 1992; in 2013, the entire vineyard was certified organic. Additionally, Yann took on 1.5 hectare to farm on his own using biodynamic principles and created two new cuvées d’exception made in the neo-Beaujolais style of his well-known neighbors.

Products

Fleurie 'Cuvee du Chaos'

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
Gamay
FARMING PRACTICE
Biodynamic, Certified Organic
DETAILS

Biodynamic & certified organic. The very oldest vines among the family vineyards, up to 100 years of age; these come from heavily sandy and granitic soils. This is the 1.1ha parcel on which Yann practices his most detailed, hands-on farming, advancing his techniques for application to the rest of the vineyards. Cold carbonic, 7-9 months in old barrels, no SO2 added.

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Fleurie Folie

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
Gamay
FARMING PRACTICE
Certified Organic
DETAILS

Biodynamic and certified organic. These are among the ‘youngest’ vines from the vineyard of Grand Pré, one of the more established and serious of Yann’s estate parcels. The vines are 30-60 years old, largely on sandy granite soils. Carbonic maceration of about 15 days. Aging 50% in steel tank and 50% in 225L barrels. Don’t underestimate this ‘simple’ bottling: this is no goofy wine, but rather, a pretty, substantial, and pure expression of Fleurie.

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Morgon 'Dynamite'

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
Gamay
FARMING PRACTICE
Biodynamic, Certified Organic
DETAILS

Biodynamic & certified organic. 100% Gamay from 80-110 year old vines grown on granitic sand. Cold carbonic maceration with native yeast and without SO2 for 17-20 days. 7-9 month aging 225-liter in used barrels (minimum 10 years old). Bottled without any additions or treatments of any kind.

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Saint Amour 'Les Bambins'

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
Gamay
FARMING PRACTICE
Organic
DETAILS

From the single vineyard ‘La Côte de Besset,’ 40 and 70 year-old bush-trained vines. The blue stones from mica schist and sandstone scree in this parcel lend this particular bottle a robust and spicy dimension. Cold carbo, 7 months in old barrel, .5g SO2 added at bottling. A charming wine, more of the huntsman side of Gamay.

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Beaujolais 'Oh !!!'

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
Gamay
FARMING PRACTICE
Certified Organic
DETAILS

Certified Organic. Comes from a parcel called ‘Fond Chatonnes’ of .75 ha. The vine age here is 60 years old, planted at high density (11k vines/ha). Soils are granite over clay soil. The wine is produced via cold carbonic maceration for roughly 20-25 days. Native yeast, no SO2. 100% concrete tanks. Bottled unfiltered by gravity following the lunar calendar. A retired vigneron in Fleurie offered to rent Yann this parcel after tasting his wines at the local café in the town center and being impressed; he told Yann they reminded him of the wines he drank when he was a young winemaker in Fleurie. The name is inspired by an old Chauvet cuvée.

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Beaujolais 'Lantignie'

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
Gamay
FARMING PRACTICE
Organic
DETAILS

Biodynamic & certified organic. 100% Gamay. A new bottling from a one-hectare, fifteen year-old vineyard, technically a Beaujolais Village but right across the path from Yann’s Fleurie holdings. The vineyard is on deep granite soils at 500msl. Semi-carbonic ferment; eight months’ aging in 80% neutral 225L barrels and 20% stainless steel tanks. No added SO2.

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Fleurie Vieilles Vignes 'Cuvee Joshua'

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
Gamay
FARMING PRACTICE
Certified Organic
DETAILS

Certified organic and biodynamic. Another new bottling from Yann, composed of Gamay from vines in Fleurie that are between 47 and 76 years-old. This first edition of this wine underwent a 13-day, semi-carbonic maceration followed by aging in 300L barrels for eight months, then it was left to age in bottle for another eight months before release. Unfined, unfiltered, zero SO2 added. The cuvée name is an homage to Josh Adler, the late founder of Paris Wine Co., who was one of Yann’s earliest supporters and with whom he developed a close and admiring friendship.

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Fleurie 'Alice 6/10'

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
Gamay
FARMING PRACTICE
Certified Organic
DETAILS

Certified organic and biodynamic. This new entry in the Bertrand canon represents a celebration of ten years of making wine, six years of enduring consecutive hailstorms, and a tribute to Yann’s wife, Alice. From the sandy granite soils which give Coup de Folie and Coup de Foudre. A selection of older and younger vines. It's a semi-carbonic maceration blended with 40% of direct press and aged entirely in old barrels that previously contained Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Mondeuse.

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Triptyque Rouge Vin de France

TYPE
Still / Red
VARIETAL
FARMING PRACTICE
DETAILS

Certified Organic. A new cuvée for Yann as of 2023, from purchased grapes from Tavel, namely Grenache from limey loess soils, Syrah from a single sandy parcel, and Cinsault from a parcel of galets roulés, or worn pebbles. The Grenache underwent carbonic maceration for 22 days; as did Cinsault, with some light punchdowns towards the end; and the Syrah was pressed directly. The wine was aged for seven months, ½ in concrete tanks and ½ in 225L barrels. Unfined, unfiltered, no SO2 added. It’s worth noting this fruit is pretty special: these are grapes Yann didn’t have to seek out on his own. During summer of 2023, when Yann all of a sudden lost a significant amount of fruit to late hail, Thibault Pfifferling was with him; it was he who immediately offered to source grapes for Yann from his own excellent grower-neighbors and friends. Yann jumped on the occasion and made Triptyque.

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