Gérard Bertrand 2023 “Rouge Clair” Pays d’Oc ($12.99)

Made with organic grapes. Gérard Bertrand Rouge Clair is a clear scarlet color, darker than a rosé but light enough to see through. Meant to be served lightly chilled, it’s juicy and refreshing, an appetizing mix of ripe cherry and red-berry aromas that carry over in a light-bodied, dry, and properly acidic flavor that’s full of red fruit, mellowing into faint tannic astringency and slight wet-stone minerality. 12.5% alcohol. U.S. importer: Gerard Bertrand USA, Sausalito, Calif. (April 29, 2025)

FOOD MATCH: The producer offers specific pairing suggestions including as an aperitif, with grilled dishes, wok-seared shrimp, or a vegetable risotto. We enjoyed it with a dinner salad with fresh spring lettuces, mild goat cheese, and an oil-and-lemon vinaigrette.

WHEN TO DRINK: This one’s not meant for aging. Drink it up this summer and enjoy.

VALUE:
Wine-Searcher.com reaches its $16 average U.S. retail price from a surprising range of retail tabs from $10 to $26. It’s definitely a good value through the middle teens, although I’d be inclined to closely question a merchant who offered it for $20-plus.

WEB LINK:
Here’s the producer’s fact sheet.

FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Check prices and find vendors for Gérard Bertrand Rouge Clair on Wine-Searcher.com.

This Wine-Searcher link provides information about the Pays d’Oc IGP wine region in Southwestern France, with links to dozens of its wines.

This Wine-Searcher link opens a database of Gérard Bertrand’s wines with vendors and prices.