The Compostelle blend

The Compostelle range personifies the evolution of our thoughts regarding the most complete expression of the terroir within the setting of the AOC Costière de Nîmes.

These blends are developed with grapes emanating from very strict block selection, sorted and harvested by hand. The blocks that have been pre-selected for these blends enjoy extreme care where disbudding, rebiochage, selective thinning of leaves are concerned.
The average age of the vines is more than 30 years, and the yield is between 25 and 30l/ha with a density of between 5 000 and 6 700 vines per hectare. The checking of ripeness is done by tasting, but also by checking phenolic ripeness and tannin quality.

Grape varieties

Syrah (70%), Mourvèdre (15%), Grenache (15%).

Production

20 000 bottles.

Tasting notes

Dark, dense, ruby colour.
The nose has aromas of black cherry, prune and Virginia tobacco.
On the palate, the attack is smooth, then the aromas develop; besides the dark fruits, fresh leather and soft spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) dominate. The finish is textured with silky tannins and a delightful freshness.

Terroir

Selection of 30 to 50-year old vineyard blocks, on soils containing Villafranchian pebbles with very good filtration properties.

Vinification

20 to 30 days of fermentation on the skin after total destemming and light crushing fermentation at 30°C.
Warm running off of the wine into barrels that have been used for a wine coming from one of the Great classified growths (Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Lafite-Rothschild, Pape Clément).
Maturation from 9 to 12 months.
Bottling without fining or filtering after 2 to 3 rackings.

Food and wine matching

Wild game, red meet with rossini sauce, black truffle dishes, T-bone steack of wild bull from camargue.

Grape varieties

Roussanne (90%), White Grenache (10%).

Production

7 000 bottles.

Tasting notes

Golden yellow colour.
The nose brings forth hints of fruit with white flesh then air-dried fruit.
On the palate, Compostelle white has a smooth attack, full mid-palate and a long and sustained finish. Soft spices (Bourbon vanilla), white fruits (pear and peach) dominant, then hints of honey and wax complete the palette of aromas. Wine lovers who forget these bottles at the back of their cellars for a few years will not be sorry.

Terroir

Selection giving the grapes slow but optimum ripeness, on soil containing Villafranchian pebbles with very good filtration properties.

Vinification

Cold settling (4°C).
Running off of the wine into barrels that have been used for a wine coming from the Sauternes area (Château d'Yquem) for a period of 8 months.
Alcoholic fermentation in barrels with controlled temperature (18-20°C)
Light stirring of lees in the barrel.

Food and wine matching

Fish in sauce (salmon with sorrel, perch in a sauce made with butter, vinegar and shallots), capon, hot or cold shellfish, veal chops with morel mushrooms.

Grape varieties

Cinsault (40%), Grenache noir (20%), Mourvèdre (15%), Syrah (15%), Grenache blanc (5%), Roussane (5%).

Production

20 000 bottles.

Tasting notes

Tender rose colour with reflections of sky.
The bouquet is very dense and mixes red fruits (red cherry, raspberry) mixed with white flowers (honeysuckle).
The palate is voluptuous, notes of citrus and ref fruits prolongated by a long and fresh finish.

Cultivation

Sud Costières.

Vinification

Low temperature alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats (16°C).

Food and wine matching

Grilled turbot, lamb filet cutlets, fresh sheep cheese.