Highlights: Gérard Bertrand Villa Soleilla 2021, taking orange wine to new heights
Gérard Bertrand Villa Soleilla 2021 France
14% alcohol. Villa Soleilla is probably the world’s most expensive orange wine. It’s made from vineyards close to the Bertrand base at Château L’Hospitalet. ‘The idea is to create the most iconic orange wine,’ says Gérard. It’s aged three ways: one-thirds in amphora, one-third in glass (wine globes), and one-third in oak. Gerard says he’s celebrating the work of the Georgians: ‘This is where wine started.’ The white grapes are fermented on skins for three to four weeks. ‘The idea is to move from strong bitterness to light bitterness,’ he says, regarding the maceration. This is a powerful, intriguing wine with a wide array of flavours, but a sense of refinement and harmony. I’m getting mandarin, honeysuckle, hazelnut, marzipan and marmalade flavours, with bright citrussy fringing and hints of vanilla and apricot, all tingling and alive with purity and brightness as well as depth. For an orange wine, it’s nicely polished with a lovely finish that’s nicely bitter (orange peel) with some aniseed notes. You have to admire the ambition and execution behind this wine. 95/100
