Vinodrome

Vinodrome Notes Vol. 7

7/13/2009

Sadly, It’s been a month since the previous update to Vinodrome, but this latest update is a fun  and reasonably thorough look at the wines of Nimes (both Costieres de Nimes AOC and Vin du Pays du Gard).  The reds have proven to be very nice, but it’s the roses and whites which have really shined.

Château Mourgues du Grès Costières de Nîmes Rouge “Capitelles des Mourgues” 2005

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Southern Rhone, France
Winery: Château Mourgues du Grès
Variety: Syrah, Grenache

Black plum and raspberry with pervasive chocolate and notes of toasted almond adding interest. The overall texture is quite creamy and gentle, certainly not contradicting an overall impression of mild-mannered well-behavedness. While the wine is tasty and interesting, I would have appreciated a bit more assertiveness.

Chateau L’Ermitage Nimes Rose 2008

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Southern Rhone, France
Winery: Chateau L’Ermitage
Variety: Syrah(50%), Grenache(30%), Mourvedre(20%)

Medium salmon color with traces of bright magenta. Raspberry and crisp red cherry with a subtle herbal bitterness which enhances enjoyability.

Chateau Grande Cassagne “G.S” Costieres de Nimes 2007

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Southern Rhone, France
Winery: Chateau Grande Cassagne
Variety: Grenache(60%), Syrah(40%)

Very healthy (and heady) raspberry and dark cherry fruit with sweet herbal undertones and a generous suggestion of licorice There’s a simplicity here which is both deliciously focused and slightly anti-climactic. Overall, I find this wine to be rewarding and another youthful example of the southern Rhone’s vibrant 2007 vintage.

Chateau Grande Cassagne Costieres de Nimes “Les Rameaux” Rose 2008

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Southern Rhone, France
Winery: Chateau Grande Cassagne
Variety: Grenache(60%), Syrah(35%), Mourvedre(5%)

An almost extraterrestrial deep magenta fading into more easily anticipated salmon hues. The fruit here is round and ripe with moderate but insistent acidity. Raspberry and white-fleshed red plum with a touch of white pepper and garrigue endow this wine with a linear elegance and deliciousness.

Domaine Des Cantarelles “Syrah de Fayel” 2005

Region: Nimes (Vin de Pays du Gard), Southern Rhone, France
Winery: Domaine Des Cantarelles
Variety: Syrah

Black cherry, milk chocolate, and something very like sweet glycerine. Barnyard-esque notes and a bit of smoke on the nose aren’t very suggestive of the wine’s relatively fruit forward personality in the mouth. There’s a bit of dustiness that adds interest (while possibly detracting from overall drinkability). A long-lingering sharpness on the finish seriously compromises what might otherwise have been a much more enjoyable wine. This hasn’t held up at all well. (Tasted twice with consistent results)

Domaine Des Cantarelles Cabernet / Syrah 2004

Region: Nimes (Vin de Pays du Gard)
Winery: Domaine Des Cantarelles
Variety: Syrah(60%), Cabernet Sauvignon(60%)
This is basically a partial retraction of my previously written opinion (posted 5/11/09 in the third volume of this blog). I recently came across an unopened case of this wine, and upon re-tasting it from a bottle which had been stored more carefully, I can say that it’s actually remaining fairly vibrant and robust. The cassis, black cherry, chocolate, etc. still apply. Below is my former impression:

Rich cassis and black cherry bound together with notes of chocolate, espresso, and toasty oak. There is a bit of sharpness that makes me feel as though this wine may be aging out faster than it ought to. I would have given it close to five stars two years ago, but longevity matters (in a wine which should be able to age). – 05/07/2009

Chateau De Valcombe “Prestige” Costieres de Nimes 2004

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Southern Rhone, France
Winery: Chateau De Valcombe
Variety: Syrah (70%), Grenache (30%)

Focused cassis and black raspberry support a rustic but delicate combination of sweet earth, toast, and bitter herbs. The influence of oak is apparent while remaining unobtrusive. Very nice value.

Chateau De Valcombe “Les Pins” Costieres de Nimes 2007

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Southern Rhone, France
Winery: Chateau De Valcombe
Variety: Syrah (60%), Grenache (40%)

In many ways, this is very like the Chateau’s “Prestige” cuvee, but brighter and lacking the earthier and more oak-driven characteristics. Blackberry, dark cherry, and plum with restrained notes of white pepper and something reminiscent of thyme. The straight-forward youthfulness here is both refreshing and very satisfying.

Mas des Bressades Syrah Grenache 2005

Region: Nimes (Vin de Pays du Gard), Southern Rhone, France
Winery: Mas des Bressades
Variety: Syrah(60%) Grenache(40%)

Ripe cassis, cherry, and black raspberry yield undertones of milk chocolate and fennelseed. There is (perhaps surprisingly) a real grace and subtlety at this stage of the wine’s life, and it remains intact and virile.

Michel Gassier “Lou Coucardie” Nimes 2003

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Rhône, France
Winery: Chateau De Nages / Michel Gassier
Variety: Syrah(70%), Mourvedre(20%), Grenache(10%)

Very ripe fruit character suggesting plum, red raspberry, and date. Undertones of milk chocolate, toast, and garrigue add intrigue. Unfortunately, this wine is beginning to show signs of premature decrepitude, which is a real shame especially considering its style and clear ambition of ageworthiness. I’m a fan of the work of Michel Gassier and Chateau de Nages, but this particular vintage of the Coucardie cuvee doesn’t rise to the standards which it’s previously set for itself. (Tasted three times with consistent results)

Chateau De Nages “Cuvée Joseph Torrès Red” 2003

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Rhône, France
Winery: Chateau De Nages / Michel Gassier
Variety: Syrah(95%), Mourvedre(5%)

Purple fruit recalling plum and blackberry reveals notes of anise and sandalwood. The tannins are very soft, but provide the wine with enough skeleton to hold it upright. While this tastes as though it has a few good years left to it, I’m not at all in agreement with the Chateau’s claim that it could age gracefully for ten to twelve years.

Chateau De Nages “Vieilles Vignes Red” 2006

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Rhône, France
Winery: Chateau De Nages / Michel Gassier
Variety: Grenache(60%), Syrah(30%), Mourvedre(10%)

This is almost certainly the highlight among the recent reds which I’ve tasted from Nimes. Its firmness of bold youthful fruit and tannin support an indulgent combination of rich earth, toast, and hot stone. This has the structural integrity to continue improving for a couple of years, I suspect, and is a real powerhouse at a very sensitive price.

Chateau De Nages “Reserve Red” 2007

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Rhône, France
Winery: Chateau De Nages
Variety: Grenache(70%), Syrah(30%)

Cherry and black raspberry merge with spicy pepper and anise. There’s a bit of very specific “Easter-egg-dye” on the finish which I’ve noticed in a couple vintages of this particular wine (as well as in many other wines using synthetic corks). I attribute this to bottling or storage rather than an inherent flaw in the wine itself. It’s difficult, however, to determine just how delicious the wine might have been without this (albeit subtle) detractor.

Chateau De Nages “Vieilles Vignes White” Costieres de Nimes 2008

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Rhône, France
Winery: Chateau De Nages / Michel Gassier
Variety: Grenache Blanc(50%), Roussanne(40%), Viognier(10%)

Round tropical fruit reminiscent of guava and honeydew merges with more typical threads of pear and white peach. Toasty notes merge seamlessly with the floral aroma and bright minerality. A polished, creamy texture adds to an overall impression of elegance, but I would prefer just a bit more acidity to enhance the wine’s tactile presence.

Chateau De Nages “Reserve White” 2008

Region: Costieres de Nimes, Rhône, France
Winery: Chateau De Nages / Michel Gassier
Variety: Grenache Blanc(60%), Roussanne(40%)

Bright Asian pear and guava enriched with white flowers and chiseled minerality. The texture and consistency of the wine could be compared to a modern Maconnais Chardonnay, reconciling its full-figured mouthfeel with refreshing brightness. 2008 is regarded as the Rhone’s first disappointing vintage in six years, but the whites and roses have, in my experience, been pretty exciting so far.

• $9.99

• 4/5 Stars.

July 13, 2009
Categories: Uncategorized . . Author: vinodrome . Comments: Leave a comment