Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Gérard Bertrand – Orange Gold – 2023
Vin de France – France 🇫🇷

Overview
A thoughtfully crafted orange wine made from a blend of 40% Chardonnay, 30% Grenache Blanc, 15% Viognier, 10% Muscat, and 5% Gewürztraminer. This is a cerebral, texture-driven expression that leans into aromatic intensity and phenolic structure rather than immediate approachability.

Aromas & Flavors
Honeysuckle, ripe peach, and orange peel lead the profile, followed by roasted almonds and subtle spice. A gentle grapefruit-like bitterness adds lift, while floral and exotic notes from Muscat and Gewürztraminer bring complexity.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with a distinctive textured grip. Light tannic astringency from skin contact gives structure, balanced by fresh acidity. The interplay between softness and phenolic tension keeps the palate engaged throughout.

Food Pairings
Glass noodles with vegetables and shrimp, Mediterranean dishes, roasted poultry, spiced cuisine, or dishes with umami depth. A strong performer at the table.

Verdict
A fascinating and layered orange wine that rewards attention. This wine can be an acquired taste when enjoyed on its own, but truly shines when paired with food. A true “thinking wine.”

Did You Know?
Orange wines are made by fermenting white grapes with their skins, similar to red wine production, extracting tannins, color, and structure rarely found in traditional white wines.

🍷 Personal Pick
A wine that keeps your brain really busy, in the best way. Pair it with food and it absolutely shines. — 9 days ago

Chance Miller

9.4

2014, what a treat! — 9 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Hugely reduced out of the gates. Wow huge sulfur. Palate is red fruited, silky and so supple. Needs mega mega air. Wow what a nose now with air. Olive explosion. feral, meaty, charcuterie and so classic. Palate is so fresh, energetic and silky. So so supple. Amazing purity. Nose still not quite there but it’s going to get there. So silky and such refined tannins. Substantial but refined. Amazing presence. — 2 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2023 vintage. Loved the 2022 vintage of this and gave it a 9.2 (6.12.25). This is slightly better. Medium body. Nice chocolate notes up front. Beautiful balance now. 3.23.26. — 24 days ago

Ryan

8.9

Delicious. Sweet. Lovely bottle. Great color — 3 months ago

John Jaye

9.2

Super drink. Soft tannins, lots of fruit and a great aroma — a year ago

Sean Smith

9.4

Earth and barnyard on the nose with a silky smooth finish on the palette. — 5 years ago

Jason Phillips

8.9

Decent nose. Ruby color. Smooth on the palate but not bold. Lots of resources fruit. Merlot 37%, Syrah 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 12%, Caladoc 11%, Grenache Noir 4%, Mourvedre 3%, and Carignan 3%. — 2 months ago

Danny O'Brien

9.4

Fantastic Chablis, evolving nose that shifted from balanced white floral, to lemon peel, to slightly farmy/sulfur notes. Very soft and round mouth feel, present but not overpowering acidity, lasting finish that becomes more savory and rich as it develops. — 5 months ago

Alexandre Pagliano

9.0

This was singing when we had it at an over rated and under delivering Cyril Lignac bistrot in Paris. Great stuff and the best thing we had there. — 10 months ago

with Jose, veronique and 1 other