Chateau Saint-Cyrgues Costieres de Nimes Blanc 2015
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Blend: Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier
Costières de Nîmes (which loosely translates to ‘the slopes of Nimes’) sits at the nexus of rocky hills of Provence and the sandy alluvial plains of the Camargues. Many of its areas feature the larger, flat, galets, the signature stones of Chateauneuf du Pape. Seeing the potential in the Chateau, Saint Cyrgues was then updated with a complete overhaul of the property; with an updated winemaking facility, overhaul of the vineyards to 100% organic viticulture, restoring the chateau, the works.
Jean-Pierre Ferraud his son Loic Ferraud have taken over the domaine, leading the facility to practice 100% organic viticulture and vinification and the wines will be labeled as such beginning with the 2016 vintage. Now managing the estate on a day to day basis, Loic has a business degree and was inspired to make wine by his grandfather, who owned vineyards and made wine. He now works with the estate’s oenologist to create the wines for Saint Cyrges and is the sixth generation of his family in the wine trade.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
Gently rolling hills covered by large, round stones on south-facing slopes, Costieres de Nimes is a substantial IGP zone that was formerly considered part of the Languedoc. Today it is included as a section of the southern Rhone; its climate, topography and wines put it more in line with that appellation. Grenache is its most important red variety, along with Mourvedre, Syrah and Carignan. Half of the production here is rosé.