The Wine.

The VOX 2017 drinks like a hedonistic Châteauneuf-du-Pape - intense dark berry fruit, notes of spice box and garrigue, silky tannins and a fresh acidity that brings a crucial tension to the wine. It is utterly delicious and highly moreish as it is, but you could lay it down for another 8 or so years. Personally though, honestly I'd recommend diving in straightaway with a hearty beef stew or some hard cheeses.

The Estate.

Château de Nages has been in the same family for four generations and under current owner and winemaker, Michel Gassier ("a relentless and talented farmer" - Jeb Dunnuck), it has become the leading estate in the Costières de Nîmes. They farm organically and as sustainably as possible, keeping the use of copper fungicides to a minimum (although they are allowed in organic farming) and grazing sheep on the land between October and March to fertilise the soil, keep weeds under control and avoid compaction of the soil caused by tractors.

The Appellation.

Costières de Nîmes is a small region in southern France where the Rhône meets the Mediterranean. It boasts enviable growing conditions, with plenty of sun, a plateau of well drained pebbly ground and the Mistral breeze acting as a natural fungicide by keeping the air moving among the vines.

Offered: March 2023.

Alcohol: 15%.

Drinking window: 2023 – 2031.

Food matching: Roasts, stews and hard cheeses.