August Rosé of the Month Club

It’s August, the month where Parisians traditionally hand over the city to the tourists and aller a la plage. We spent July in Provence, which was nice, but it tends to get a bit hot and crowded this time of year, so we’re heading right next door - to Costières de Nîmes, which sits at the intersection of Provence, the Languedoc and the Rhône Valley. Officially part of the latter, it is both the southernmost appellation in the region and  the coolest weather-wise. It is also the only place in the Southern  Rhône - Grenache country, generally speaking - where Syrah predominates. And while Costières does share with its neighbors a surfeit of sunshine, the influence of the Mistral winds, and most famously, galets, the iconic large round stones that stipple the vineyards of Chateauneuf du Pape, its wines are defined by the distinctive climatic conditions that obtain there and nowhere else. 

Costières de Nîmes overlooks the largest river delta in Western Europe, a unique biosphere known as the Camargue, where the two arms of the Rhone meet the Mediterranean. Costières is part of the Petit Camargue, a marshy plain whose proximity to the sea means that the intense summer heat is leavened by cool maritime breezes, causing substantial diurnal temperature shifts, which preserves acidity in grapes and imbues the resultant wines with striking freshness and concentrated fruit flavors. Red and rosé  constitute 55% and 40%, respectively, of the region’s total production, and every bottling must be a blend of at least two grapes. A relatively young appellation - its AOC status dates back to 1986 - Costières makes wines that are appropriately energetic, approachable and easy drinking, but the specificity of its climate and terroir provide layers of complexity that means they are age-worthy and great with food as well. 

This month’s selections come from one producer: Château Mougues du Grès. Occupying a former agricultural estate of the Ursulines de Beaucaire order that dates back to the 16th century, the winery owes its name to the nuns called ‘Mourgues’ in the Provençal language, and ‘Grès’, the rounded rocks of the region that give the wines their character. Winemaker François Collard ‘s father first purchased the estate, and made some wine, but mostly sold grapes in bulk. After starting his career in Bordeaux, working in the cellar at Château Lafite-Rothschild, Francois returned home in 1990, soon after the Costières de Nîmes received appellation status, and bottled his first wine in 1993. He continues to run the estate today,  together with his wife Anne. “All our actions, be it in the vineyard or the cellar, are guided by our mindfulness of nature, and respect for the terroir and the environment,” Francois says. “Our official certification in Organic Agriculture in 2004 corresponds to these convictions. Since 2015, vinification has been carried out without sulfur for more purity and intense fruitiness. A light addition and a very slight filtration during bottling ensures the stability of the wine. May these bottles accompany your delectable moments of conviviality and celebration!”

Think Pink!

Carrie Upson- General Manager