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wine reviews are a pair of lovely, organic wines from southern Rhône that arrived at the LCBO for the first time last weekend as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release.
Château de Nages is a family-owned operation located in Costières de Nîmes that has been passed down over the generations. The family's history at Château de Nages begins with Joseph Torres, the family patriarch who at 68 years of age purchased this southern Rhône estate during World War II. After the passing of Joseph, the estate was managed by his son-in-law Alfred Gassier.
Today, the highly-acclaimed Michel Gassier is the fourth generation of the family to manage the estate. Situated in the heart of a Natura 2000 zone (an ecological network of protected areas of the European Union), the vineyards are planted with typical Rhône varietals and organically farmed. They are firmly committed to protecting their ecosystem and using resources wisely. To produce their fabulous wines, they combine ancestral know-how with modern techniques and with an absolute respect for the soil.
Both of these wines are from Château de Nages' ButiNAGES collection, which also includes a rosé. ButiNAGES, which means "gather nectar", is a metaphor that describes both the style of these wines, as well as the vineyard approach that allows us to achieve it. The grapes for these wines come from their younger vineyards, but receive the same attentiveness as their other cuvées. ButiNAGES wines are crafted with purity of fruit in mind to produce fresh, crisp, and unoaked wines with a soft mouthfeel. While the producer suggests that these are easy-drinking crowd pleasers (which they are), the quality offered in these wines are far superior than what you would normally find in an easy-drinking crowd pleaser type of wine. The 2019 vintage was outstanding in the Southern Rhône Valley, while the 2020 vintage for white wine varietals was very good. Let's see how these lovely wines are tasting tonight...
Tasting Notes:
BUTINAGES WHITE 2020 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#20906) (XD) - $16.95 Screw cap. Blend of 70% Grenache Blanc and 30% Roussanne that was aged on fine lees in concrete vats with batonnage for 3 months. Elegant, fragrant, medium-high intensity aromatics are leesy mineral-inflected with lemon citrus, grapefruit, and white florals nuanced with ripe apple, stone fruits, and white peach. The palate is dry and impressively concentrated with flavours of apple, stone fruit, grapefruit, citrus, and white floral. Nicely balanced with fresh, succulent acidity. Saline minerals with citrusy notes linger on the long, juicy finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 89 pts
BUTINAGES RED 2019 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#20637) (XD) - $16.95 Screw cap. Unoaked blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre that was destemmed without crushing to keep only whole berries. It was blended and aged on lees in vats for 6 months. The medium-high intensity nose offers a lovely bouquet of dark cherry, raspberry, wild herbs, smoky minerality, garrigue, peppery spice, and subtle meaty nuances. It's medium-full bodied with rich, ripe, supple, and dusty tannins that have a subtly textured grip. Flavours of dark cherry, raspberry, licorice, peppery spice, smoky minerality, and garrigue are lifted by fresh, vibrant acidity. Finishes long and juicy with smoky mineral notes. Highly recommended buy! Score: 89 pts
Other lovely wines from Château de Nages are available at the LCBO, as well as through their Agent - Profile Wine Group.
wine review is this lovely organic red wine from Rhône that returned to LCBO VINTAGES on . I had the pleasure of visiting Château de Nages back in Spring 2018 and still recall fond memories of the visit. I have also tasted this previous vintages of this wine and have always loved it.
Château de Nages is now owned by the highly-acclaimed winemaker Michel Gassier, the 4th generation of the Gassier family to work thisproperty in Costières de Nîmes, within the Southern Rhône Valley. The vineyards of Château de Nages are organically farmed and situated in the heart of a Natura 2000 zone - an ecological network of protected areas of the European Union. Being family-owned, Michel and the team are committed to protecting the ecosystem and using resources wisely.
Their vineyards are planted with typical Rhône varietals. Syrah is a grape variety that excels in their terroirs, while Grenache is reserved for the leaner soils that temper its natural exuberance. The last red grape variety is Mourvèdre that confers a striking spicy complexity. For white wine grapes, certain parcels of their terroir have a predilection for Roussanne that offers great aromatic richness, while Grenache Blanc rounds out the blends with its crystalline mineral imprint. I had the privilege of enjoying a pair of top wines from Château de Nages over the last few months, one of which is still available at the LCBO. To order Château de Nages wines that are not available at the LCBO, please contact their Agent - Profile Wine Group.
Michel swore that the 2016 vintage was the best of his career, but his sense is that the 2017 may be even better even though it was a tiny harvest. For 2017, the blend consists of 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah, which translates to no Carignan and less Syrah compared to the '16. The grapes were certified organically farmed with particular attention to soil health on grès (sandstone) with rolled pebbles from the Rhône river over iron‐rich red clay soils. All of the grapes were manually harvested and sorted, and fermented using native yeasts. One-quarter of the wine was aged in French oak barrels, with the remaining in cement tank for 12 months. Let's see how this organic red wine that is available in LCBO VINTAGES now is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
CHÂTEAU DE NAGES VIEILLES VIGNES COSTIÈRES DE NÎMES 2017 - AP, Rhône, France (#40964) (XD) - $19.95 This organic red wine is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and 10% Syrah that was aged mainly in cement tanks for 12 months. The medium-high to highly aromatic nose is open, complex, and well-knit with lovely ripe and spicy black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, kirsch, black pepper, and smoky mineral aromas with touches of black plum and violet. It is medium-full bodied on the slightly warming, but balanced palate, with black cherry, raspberry, smoky mineral, pepper spice, and herbal flavours. Succulent acids are juicy and while smooth tannins are somewhat chalky textured. Smoky mineral and black cherry notes linger on the long, mineral-textured finish. Highly recommended. Score: 90+ pts
wine review is this lovely organic red wine from a Southern Rhône winery that I had the pleasure of visiting back in 2018. This delicious wine arrived at the LCBO as part of the LCBO VINTAGES Release and plenty of bottles are still available for purchase.
Château de Nages is situated in the Costières de Nîmes appellation and the heart of an ecological network of protected areas of the European Union. It is the 4th generation family estate of the highly-acclaimed winemaker Michel Gassier and his wife Tina. They are committed to protecting the ecosystem with an absolute respect for the soil. By combining ancestral know-how with modern winemaking techniques from their fabulous terroir, Michel Gassier is able to produce high-quality, fine wines.
The JT line of wines at Château de Nages, which consists of the lovely 2015 Château de Nages JT White that I enjoyed back in June and this JT Red are dedicated to Michel Gassier's visionary great grandfather, Joseph Torrès. Both of these cuvées are crafted using fruit from the very best parcels of their own estate vineyards in Costières de Nîmes, while offering northern Rhône character.
For this vintage of the JT Red, Michel Gassier notes that the 2016 vintage is the greatest he has ever seen in 23 years of making wine. In 2016, yields were naturally moderate in a warm and dry growing season with exceptionally cool nights that helped produce fresh, concentrated and wonderfully balanced grapes. All of the grapes were certified organically farmed with particular attention to soil health. The grapes were manually harvested and sorted, then fermented using natural yeasts with 50% aged in French oak, while the other half was raised in cement tanks for 12 months. Finally, it was blended and bottled without filtration.
Tasting Note:
CHÂTEAU DE NAGES JT 2016 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#736876) (XD) - $26.95 This organic red wine is a blend of 93% Syrah and 7% Mourvèdre from soils that have rolled pebbles from the Rhône over red clay rich in iron. Ripe, medium-high intensity nose has dark berry, black pepper spice, and game aromas with a strong mineral character. The medium-full bodied, structured palate is flavourful with lovely ripe dark berry, mineral and pepper with some gamey, floral, and oak spice tones. Acids are well-balanced while the mid-palate is somewhat chalky with drying tannins. Finishes long with savoury, earthy mineral and floral notes. Score: 90 pts
Other fine wines from the Château de Nages portfolio can be found at the LCBO or ordered via their Agent - Profile Wine Group.
wine review is a lovely organic white wine from Rhône that most recently came to LCBO VINTAGES on and is still readily available across Ontario.
It is produced by Château de Nages, a winery in Costières de Nîmes, within the southern Rhône Valley that I had the pleasure of visiting in May 2018. In fact, I recall tasting this delicious wine when I visited the winery.
For the Gassier family, the story of Château de Nages begins when Joseph Torrès, Michel Gassier's great grandfather, purchased the southern Rhone estate during World War II. Upon Joseph's passing, his son-in-law, Alfred Gassier inherits the property while remaining in Algeria with his wife. However, his four children reconstruct their lives in France with his eldest son, Jean Gassier, arriving first and restoring the badly neglected farm. Alfred's second son, Roger Gassier, arrives soon thereafter and revives Château de Nages, eventually passing along the magnificent vineyard and exceptional winery to his son, the highly-acclaimed winemaker Michel Gassier.
The JT White is dedicated to visionary founder Joseph Torrès and uses Roussanne and Viognier grapes that come from their very best parcels in the extreme north of the appellation where the terroir consists of grès (rolled pebbles) from the Rhône River over red clay soils rich in iron. There is also some Grenache Blanc in the blend, and all of the grapes were grown according to certified organic farming techniques, with a particular attention to soil health. The fruit was manually harvested and underwent natural yeast fermentation in French oak barrels, followed by some lees ageing prior to blending and bottling.
Having tasted this particular vintage on at least three separate occasions over the last few years, I am curious to see where this barrel-fermented white wine is in its evolution. Let's see how it is tasting tonight...
Tasting Note:
MICHEL GASSIER CHÂTEAU DE NAGES JT WHITE 2015 - AC Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#485854) (XD) - $26.95
This barrel-fermented blend of 64% Roussanne, 20% Viognier, and 16% Grenache Blanc pours a medium yellow gold and has medium+ intensity aromatics featuring rich and complex notes of lemony, waxy, paraffin, butter, and pear with touches of saline. It's full-bodied on the rich palate with buttery, pear, lemon, herb, slightly smoky wood, and leesy flavours followed by touches of saline. It's nicely textured with very good acidity, but also shows some heat on the mid-palate. Long, smoky finish with touches of saline, lemon, and pear. Enjoy now, nicely chilled. Score: 90 pts
After visits to Luberon and Ventoux, and Cairanne earlier in the week, our focused on the Costières de Nîmes appellation. This region is the southern-most wine-growing region of the Rhône Valley and exhibits a rich history and culture dating back to Greek and Roman times. In the year 280 A.D., the area was replanted with vines after the decree banning viticulture was revoked and is considered to be one of the first winegrowing regions in France. Winegrowing was further encouraged in the 17th century, and became even more important when the Canal du Midi was linked with the Rhône River in the 19th century.
The appellation was known as Costières du Gard when it was granted AOC status in 1986, and only had its name changed to Costières de Nîmes in 1989. In 2004, Costières de Nîmes was moved from Languedoc to the Rhône wine region because the wines were more reflective of the typical characteristics of Rhône than of the Languedoc. Today, Costières de Nîmes produces 8% of the wines from Rhône, of which 35% are rosé and 5% white wines. Like other Rhône AOCs, blending of at least two grape varieties is required. For rosé wines, Syrah is usually combined with either Grenache and/or Mourvedre, and sometimes Carignan and Cinsault. White wines are usually composed of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Marsanne, and sometimes Viognier, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Macabeu, and Vermentino (Rolle).
The day began with a visit to Château de Nages, where Tina Gassier, wife of renowned winemaker Michel Gassier, took us through some of their impressive current offerings of white and rosé wines from both Domaine Gassier and Château de Nages labels, and ranged in vintage from 2014 to 2017. They have vineyards in the northern part of the appellation featuring "galets" (i.e. pebbles) that sit atop iron-rich red clay, while some of this area is covered by a thin blanket of loess (wind-blown silt) that is very suitable for white varietals and Syrah. Their Bek Vineyard to the south, which was acquired fairly recently, has a base of chalk and “safres” layers that sit below a layer of red sandstone (iron-rich clay and sand) and is topped by “cailloutis” (pebbles from the ancient Durance River) on the higher elevations. The terroir of the Bek Vineyards changes as you move to lower elevations, with chalk and “safres” layers closer to the surface and topped with a layer of sandy-clay loam, offering freshness and salinity to the wines due to the vineyard being located at a fault line. At the lowest point of the Bek Vineyard, the alluvium soil that sits on top of the chalk and “safres” layer is rich in nutrients and limestone and offers minerality and freshness - white wine varietals are planted here. Unfortunately, due to the rainy weather, we were not able to see the vineyards, but I can imagine it would have been quite the sight.
The vineyards at Château de Nages have been passed along 4 generations, and the story begins when Joseph Torres purchased the southern Rhône estate during World War II. After the passing of Mr. Torres, his son-in-law, Alfred Gassier, begins managing the property all the while residing in Algeria with his wife. He helps his sons re-construct their lives in France, with the eldest son, Jean Gassier taking the reins and restoring farm while the second son, Roger Gassier, restored the Château and the property. Michel is the great grandson of Joseph and was asked to take over the property in 1993 when his father retired.
Today, Château de Nages has 112 hectares of vineyards. 32% of their production is devoted to rosé wines, while is 16% to white wines, making them one of the larger producers of white wines in Costières de Nîmes. Vineyards are organically farmed, and there is a commitment to protecting the ecosystem and using resources wisely. All of the wines among the half dozen we tasted were delicious, and some were downright excellent. Fortunately for us, these wines do show up in our market from time to time. However, I think I will have to make another trip out to Château de Nages to take a stroll through the vineyards.
The second stop of the day was meeting Cyril Marès at Mas Carlot - Château Paul Blanc. Upon arriving at the winery, I thought to myself that the buildings looked rather historic. In fact, I learned that the buildings were from the 17th century, remodelled in the 19th century by the Grasset family, and fully restored by Paul Blanc a century later. Roman remains dating back to more than 2000 years old have also been found around the Mas. The visit began with a tour of the vineyards in Cyril's SUV - since it was raining on and off, and we would be able to see more of the 75 hectare property that was littered with round pebbles coloured by the red clay of the Costières, known locally as "Grès".
After returning to the winery and getting a quick look at the tank and barrel rooms, we began tasting the wines with Cyril. Mas Carlot - Château Paul Blanc is actually the winery of Cyril's wife, Nathalie Blanc-Marès. She is an oenologist and the winemaker at Mas Carlot, and has been running the estate since 1998, following in the footsteps of her father, Paul Blanc. We didn't actually get to meet Nathalie, but Cyril tells us that she prefers to craft her wines in an elegant and fresh style, allowing the wines to express the Domaine's terroir fully. We tasted through the portfolio of whites and rosé wines (5 wines in all) and each wine was delicious and of very good quality. In 2018, Cyril Marès took over complete management of the estate and is currently moving towards organic farming.
The Marès family has a long tradition of winemaking going back centuries. Cyril was born in Nîmes and has always lived between the vineyards and orchards of his father Roger Marès. Mas des Bressades neighbours Mas Carlot and was founded by Roger in 1964. After studying agronomy, viticulture and oenology in Montpellier, Cyril went on to vinify on other continents before returning to Mas des Bressades and taking over the reins in 1996 and becoming the latest of 6 generations to make wine. At Mas des Bressades, Cyril and his small team try with passion to produce ripe and fruity wines. Today, the estate is managed by Cyril's cousin, Alix Marès. The fabulous estate terroir is comprised of Siliceous pebbles which originated from the Rhône River Basin dating back to the Quaternary era and is 6 to 15 metres thick. Roussanne is the most widely planted white varietal on the property, leading to Roussanne-dominate white wines, while the single rosé is a Grenache-led blend. After tasting the yummy wines of Mas des Bressades with Cyril at Mas Carlot, we headed out for lunch.
Hotel Restaurant Le Cours was the venue for lunch, a family hotel in Saint-Gilles that offers cultural fare in the tradition of the Camargue. It was a short drive away from Mas Carlot and Cyril joined us. I expected lunch to be on the quiet side, however, it got really interesting after Cyril pulled out 10 whites and rosés for tasting. All of the wines were from various producers in Costières de Nîmes and Cyril did his best to provide some information regarding each of the wines, along with tech sheets that came in handy. A couple of wines, one each from Domaine du Vistre and Château d'Or et de Gueules really stood out for me, and wine reviews of each are provided below.
As for lunch, the shrimp I ordered was loaded with garlic and really delicious, but made it a bit difficult for tasting the wines and, of course, it was a little messy. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and would highly recommend this entrée.
We visited the family-owned and -operated Château Mourgues du Grès for the only winery stop of the afternoon - and it was quite the visit! The site is located in Beaucaire on a slope in Costières de Nîmes and is a former 16th century agricultural estate of the Ursulines de Beaucaire. It takes its name from the nuns called "Mourgues" in the Provençal language, and the "Grès" which are the rounded stones found across Costières de Nîmes and give character to the wines from this region. The "grès" were transported here naturally via the River Rhône during the Ice Age. Since the weather had cleared up around here and the ground was fairly dry, owner and vigneron François Collard and his wife Anne gave us a tour of the property, which involved driving up the hill.
The first stop along the way was an ancient Roman archaeological site that was recently discovered while planting a new vineyard. We then drove up to a plateau that featured vineyards with plenty of "grès" on the ground and were also told about Mistral (winds) that plays an important role in winegrowing. The mistral from the north is dry, while the south wind brings moisture from the sea. Together, these winds accentuate the diurnal temperature and brings freshness to the wines. We went further up the hill and got a lovely view of the vineyards below, the town of Beaucaire, and the eastern plateau facing the River Rhône. After the brief tour of the property, we headed back to the tasting room to learn more and taste their portfolio of white and rosé wines.
Of their entire production, 20% is devoted to white wines, which is fairly high among Rhône producers. Château Mourgues du Grès is a certified organic winery, being mindful and respectful of nature and the environment. Since 2015, they have not used sulphur during winemaking (a slight addition of sulphur is added at bottling to ensure stability of the wine). All six wines we tasted were delicious - 3 whites and 3 rosés - ranging in style from fresh and fruity to something more serious for gastronomie. Most of the wines also had a fine mineral element. All in all, I was very satisfied with my visit to Château Mourgues du Grès.
This concludes a fascinating day in Costières de Nîmes, an area rich in winemaking history that goes back more than two-thousand years. The fresh white wines showed fine mineral character thanks to the terroir, while the rosés wines were deliciously fresh and fruity. From here, we moved to Lirac and Tavel the following day as we toured through the southern Rhône Valley.
Tasting Notes:
MICHEL GASSIER LOU COUCARDIÉ BLANC 2014 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (XD) - $35
Bek vineyard. Blend of 50% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc, and 20% Viognier grown on galets and sandy limestone soils over beds of safres and chalk. Barrel-fermented and aged on the lees for 9 months. Medium+ intensity nose of lanolin, yellow floral, anise, and herbs. The palate is medium-to-full bodied with a nice mouthfeel and lovely aroma replays that are balanced with fresh acids. Chalky mineral notes appear mid-palate and continue through to the long finish. Score: 90+ pts
CHÂTEAU DE NAGES VIEILLES VIGNES ROSÉ 2017 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (#496919) (XD) - $20
A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, the nose is subtle but offers rich cherry and strawberry aromas, while the medium-full bodied palate has nice aroma replays supported by balanced, juicy acids. There's some structure to this dry rosé that has a nice, rich texture. Finish length is very good. A serious, gastronomie rosé. Score: 90 pts
MAS CARLOT LA TERRE NATALE 2016 - AP Clairette de Bellegarde, Rhône, France (XD) - 10 €
Neighbouring Costières de Nîmes, this Clairette de Bellegarde appellation wine is 100% Clairette and mostly raised in concrete tanks (20% in oak). This elegant white wine has a medium+ intensity nose that is herbally with lemon oil, citrus, and stone fruits. It is medium+ bodied on the palate with fine minerally and balanced aroma replays and some fennel notes. Nicely textured with succulent acids and long finishing. Score: 90 pts
MAS DES BRESSADES CUVÉE EXCELLENCE BLANC 2017 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (XD) - 12 €
70/30 Roussanne and Viognier that was barrel-fermented and aged oak for 5 months. Medium-high, wood-inflected nose of baked pear, white peach, subtle vanilla, and floral aromas. It is medium-full bodied, rounded, and richly structured with oak nicely integrated on the palate. Nice aroma replays and somewhat chalky textured. Balanced acids. Shows impressive complexity and very good finish length. Score: 89 pts
DOMAINE DU VISTRE CUVÉE GLADIATEUR ROSÉ 2017 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (XD) - 8 €
Blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah from hillside vineyards featuring sandstone and pebbles from the Rhône river, this has a medium-high intensity nose that is clean and fresh with currant, strawberry, mineral, and herbal aromas. Medium-bodied on the very clean palate with fresh acids and nicely balanced aroma replays and a long-lasting finish. Score: 88+ pts
Agent: N/A
CHÂTEAU D'OR ET DE GUEULES TRASSEGUM BLANC 2017 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (XD) - 14.50 €
Organic and biodynamic blend of 80% Roussanne (barrel-fermented), 10% Grenache Blanc, and 10% Rolle (Vermentino). Barrel ageing evident on the nose, along with clean fresh lemon and herbal scents. It's medium-full bodied, a touch creamy, and nicely textured on the palate with more barrel influenced and pear flavours. Balanced acids. There's some complexity on the long finish. Score: 88 pts
Agent: N/A
CHÂTEAU MOURGUES DU GRÈS FLEUR D'EGLANTINE 2017 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (XD) - 7.5 € 88 pts wine review
CHÂTEAU MOURGUES DU GRÈS GALETS ROSÉS 2017 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France (XD) - 7.5 €
Blend of Syrah, Grenache, and 15% Mourvèdre made in the saignee method. Medium+ intensity and fruity with red berry, candied cherry and strawberry aromas. It is medium+ bodied, fresh, lively and dry with nice, fruity aroma replays and some structure. Minerally on the finish, with very good length. Score: 88 pts
CHÂTEAU MOURGUES DU GRÈS CAPITELLES BLANC 2015 - AP Costières de Nîmes, Rhone, France (XD) - 16 €
Blend of old vines Grenache Blanc that grow on chalky soils (rare for this appellation), Roussanne, and Viognier, and is barrel-fermented and aged. Pours deep yellow gold and offers a medium-high intensity and slightly mature nose that is waxy with baked apple, white and yellow flowers. It is medium-full bodied and fleshy on the palate with nice aroma replays. Acids are still quite fresh and juicy. Very good length on the limestone mineral finish. Should drink well for another 5 years. Score: 89 pts
Friday, January 28, 2022
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