Region: Costieres de Nimes, Languedoc, France
Composition: 40% Grenache, 60% Syrah
Background: This is another wine from the Costieres de Nimes, also from St. Gilles in Gard. The estate is run by Sylvia and Francois Cornut; Syliva is winemaker and Francois and sons tend to the vines. They seem to be very in touch with the vines they tend to and harvest... they prune a lot to keep yields down and practice individual leaf-pulling to help ripen the grapes when it's needed. They also tend to pick later than their neighbors do, picking grapes based on taste and nothing else. It seems to work pretty well for them, and I idealize their existence (as I sit here in the rain in San Francisco, thinking how it would be to be making wine in France).
It's interesting to think back to the Le Triage and compare/contrast it with this wine, just because they are so different. Winemaking or terroir? Or, weather? Oh, the eternal question.
Notes: A very clear deep purplish ruby in the glass. The nose is violets, minerals, and some leather. It's slightly leathery on the palate, and tannic, but in a soft way.. the tannins are well-blended with the blackberry, licorice, and spice. We had it with some Epoisses de Bourgogne (I know, wrong region, but it is tasty cheese and did well with the wine and we are just crazy like that) and a dinner of sauteed chard, carrots, and beluga lentils with lots of garlic, (over pasta), and it was pretty nice. It was definitely a little softer and fruitier than that Le Triage we recently had (since it is of similar composition and region, even though 2003 was a way better year than 2002), and was a little easier on the palate overall. For ten bucks it is a nice find (and I thought I was totally Rhoned out after the Rhone Rangers on Saturday).
Cost: $10
Overall: B
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