COSTIERES DE NIMES NOBLE GRESS 2005, 14%, €6.90 AT VIGNERONS DES VAUVERT (14/6/11)
This is one of the darkest reds you’ll see, close to black, and the nose is soon filled with very inviting aromas of dark fruit. The palate reflects the generosity of the Grenache (15%) and the elegance of the Syrah (80%), a match, that also includes a little Mourvèdre, well made by the winemakers in Vauvert, a small town on the edge of the Camargue and south east of the ancients city of Nimes. The vines, according to the back label, are also pretty old.
Liked this after a tasting in the co-op outlet in Vauvert during a tour of the southern part of the appellation and I still like it. Indeed, I’m a little sad as this is the last bottle (No. 545) from that particular trip. By the way, 545 is the number of the bottle, not the number of bottles I brought back!
It is a really smooth costumer, full of flavour, spice enough and, thanks to the work of the now modest tannins, really well balanced. Quite a few stores sell Costières des Nimes in Ireland but not this wine as far as I know. But do keep an eye out for it if you find yourself in the Languedoc.
As regards the wine’s name this is about the best explanation I found: “The NOBLE GRESS comes from the best vineyards, working on plots recognized long ago by our former Noble as the quality of their grapes.”
