Two Costières de Nîmes best buys from the Cornut Family.
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Wines from the Costières de Nîmes in the south of France remain largely undiscovered and undervalued by the vast majority of wine aficionados. The wine press is guilty as well and you have to dig pretty deep into most magazines and blogs to find more than a token amount of love and respect for the wines of this region. Along with some of the other out of the way regions of the Rhône, I feel the wines of the Costières de Nîmes represent a quality to price ratio that’s very hard to beat.
Mas Cornut -- Costières de Nîmes AOC
Striking likeness to the terroir of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas
It’s easy to understand why all of Europe wants to retire to the South of France. The combination of gorgeous landscape, wonderful climate, and the warm, hospitable people, is tremendously alluring. The 300 plus days of sunshine every year certainly add to the allure!
Formerly part of the Languedoc, the Costières de Nîmes AOC became part of the Rhône AOC in 1998 at the behest of the region’s vignerons since their wines are more similar to those in the Rhône Valley instead of the Languedoc. Here, as in the Rhône, Grenache and Syrah are king and the region’s soil and climate are remakable similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
9th generation vignerons
Rocky soil at Mas Cornut
Mas Cornut is always one of my favorite stops on the annual AWM buying trip to Europe. This small Château is located near the town of Saint-Gilles, 15 miles from the Mediterranean Sea and just west of the Rhône River. The Château or “Mas” is owned by Silvia Cornut and is managed by her twin sons Numa and Alexis, representing the 9th generation of vignerons in the Cornut family.
The twin brothers are meticulous in their viticultural practices and are true believers in sustainable agriculture, using no synthetic herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers on any of their vineyards. The rocky soil here is will make you think of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the fruit is always picked late, ensuring very deep, profound wines, with amazingly soft tannins.
The vineyards are planted primarily to Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon with a smattering of Chardonnay and other white varietals. Over the last 20 years, the wines made at the Mas have become reference points for the appellation.
An AWM find and exclusive selection
We don’t generally see a lot of whites from this property, so I was delighted to be able to get some of their Chardonnay! In the glass, it opens with a deep, rich, yellow hue with lovely herbs and spice on the nose. It’s a thirst-quencher style of Chardonnay with the palate focusing on a bright beam of citrus and melon. It’s fermented and aged entirely in stainless, so it will fit perfectly on the porch or at your next picnic.
I’ve always held the reds from Mas Cornut in very high regard. They have notes of the classic spice and garigue that you’d fine in the Rhône and also a beautiful lift with just a touch of salinity from the close proximity to the Med and salt marshes of Camargue. The bright purple color in your glass leads to earthy aromas of garigue and dark berry. The tannins are present, however they’re shockingly soft! Dark berry, blueberry, coffee and mocha notes dance together in a meaty framework that is remarkably lifted. In this 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, both varietals do their job in perfect fashion — the Grenache provides the lift and the Syrah provides the meaty depth. This little gem will shine along side any of your grill-outs and BBQs. It’s also a great porch red — the soft tannins provide pure drinking pleasure!
Ok, so what’ up with the flamingos on the label?…
The famous salt marsh of Camargue is just a short drive from Mas Cornut and it stretches all the way to the lovely seaside town of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. The briney waters of the marsh and surrounding wetlands are one of Europe’s few natural breeding grounds for pink flamingos!
Mas Cornut
"Flamingo" White and Red- Can't make it in? Call 828-253-0060 with your credit card number.
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