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Past Offers

Chateau de Nages Heritage Red, Costieres de Nimes, France 2021

Chateau de Nages Heritage Red, Costieres de Nimes, France 2021

The Wine.

Superb old vine Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend, impressively aromatic and brimming with ripe red fruit. Bright, fresh, full-ish bodied, it is drinking beautifully now but will age well for a good 6 - 8 years if you want to lay it down.

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: October 2024.

Alcohol: 15%.

Drinking window: 2024 – 2032.

Food matching: Roasts, stews and hard cheeses.

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Fie Gris by Eric Chevalier, Loire, France 2016

Fie Gris by Eric Chevalier, Loire, France 2016

I was tipped off about Eric Chevalier's operation in a little wine bar in Nantes when I was cycling through in 2016. He took over his family estate back in 2005 and since then has gradually established himself as one of the region's rising stars.

Muscadet is the main wine produced in the area, but it is Eric's Fié Gris that has really thrust him into the spotlight. Sometimes known as Sauvignon Gris, this is an ancient Loire variety which combines the fruitiness and zip of Sauvignon Blanc with the lushness and aromatics of Alsace Pinot Gris.

There are only about 100 hectares of it left in the Loire (Eric has 2.5 of them), but it is sensational stuff and Eric has been winning awards left right and centre for his.

Further Details

Region: The estate covers 27 hectares in the Pays de Retz. A small area at the western, Atlantic end of the Loire Valley, just to the south west of Nantes. The wine is categorised as a Vin de Pays du Val de Loire. This being one of the 140 or so Vin de Pays regions found in France.

Offered: June 2018.

Price was: ÂŁ14.95.

Alcohol: 13.5% abv.

Vintage report: 2016 was a tricky vintage in the western Loire with frost and lack of water causing difficulties. September's excellent harvest conditions saved the day though and the end result was a decent sized harvest of ripe, concentrated grapes with good acidity.

Drinking window: 2018 – 2020.

Food matching: Delicious as an aperitif but would pair well with seafood or summer salads.

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