Chateau Lamargue Costieres de Nimes Blanc 2005
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Color: Pale lemon with green reflections.
Bouquet: The nose displays mineral notes combined with intense aromas of exotic fruit and white flowers. On the palate, it is round and fresh, with a good balance of fruit, acidity and alcohol.
Taste: Round and fresh, with a good balance of fruit, acidity and alcohol.
Serving Suggestions: Perfect on its own as an aperitif. Delicious served with fish and white meats in light sauces, as well as cheeses such as Gouda and Parmigiano.
Chateau Lamargue in this up-and-coming appellation in France's southern Rhône Valley was established in 1999. The property, which was purchased in 2001 by Campari, includes 85 hectares (210 acres) of vineyards planted in an array of grape varieties, notably Syrah.
Chateau Lamargue boasts a new showcase winery equipped with the most advanced winemaking technology. The estate's vineyards have undergone a similarly thorough rehabilitation, as have Lamargue's aging cellars (chais), which are now replete with all-new French and American oak barriques.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
A long and narrow valley producing flavorful red, white, and rosé wines, the Rhône is bisected by the river of the same name and split into two distinct sub-regions—north and south. While a handful of grape varieties span the entire length of the Rhône valley, there are significant differences between the two zones in climate and geography as well as the style and quantity of Rhône wines produced. The Northern Rhône, with its continental climate and steep hillside vineyards, is responsible for a mere 5% or less of the greater region’s total output. The Southern Rhône has a much more Mediterranean climate, the aggressive, chilly Mistral wind and plentiful fragrant wild herbs known collectively as ‘garrigue.’
In the Northern Rhône, the only permitted red variety is Syrah, which in the appellations of St.-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Côte-Rôtie, it produces velvety black-fruit driven, savory, peppery red wines often with telltale notes of olive, game and smoke. Full-bodied, perfumed whites are made from Viognier in Condrieu and Château-Grillet, while elsewhere only Marsanne and Roussanne are used, with the former providing body and texture and the latter lending nervy acidity. The wines of the Southern Rhône are typically blends, with the reds often based on Grenache and balanced by Syrah, Mourvèdre, and an assortment of other varieties. All three northern white varieties are used here, as well as Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourbelenc and more. The best known sub-regions of the Southern Rhône are the reliable, wallet-friendly Côtes du Rhône and the esteemed Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Others include Gigondas, Vacqueyras and the rosé-only appellation Tavel.