($70, USA Wine West):  Gérard Bertrand is one of the winemaking stars in the Languedoc.  La Forge, his flagship red, is a blend of old (100-year) vine Carignan and Syrah from a single vineyard on his estate, Domaine de Villemajou in newly recognized appellation, Corbières Boutenac, carved out of Corbières because of its distinctive terroir.  This robust wine is remarkably elegant, fresh and balanced with lots of exotic spice–even hints of licorice–to offset the ripe black fruit notes. A serious wine, it carries the 14.5 percent stated alcohol effortlessly.  It’s not often you find a powerhouse like this one that is also long and refined. If the rest of the wines from this part of Corbières are this distinctive, it’s easy to see why Corbières Boutenac has its own appellation.  Sadly, it comes in one of those oversized heavy bottles.  The stature of this wine doesn’t need a big bottle.  It speaks for itself. 95 Michael Apstein Aug 14, 2012