Chateau Beaubois Costieres de Nimes Cuvee Expression Blanc 2013
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Now in the skilled hands of Fanny and François Boyer (brother and sister team), this 50 ha. estate lies to the south of the Costières de Nîmes, located between Languedoc and Provence, where the vines overlook the lakes of the Camargue. The wines are made from the great grape varieties of the Rhône Valley and present a unique style. François converted to organic farming in 2009 and continually searches for the best methods of growing healthy grapes. Fanny is the winemaker and strives to give elegance and femininity to their wines.
The Beaubois style is inimitable due to the geographic situation front of the Camargue lake and very close proximity to the sea, giving this specific site a 6 degree cooler climate than Nimes during warm Summer days. Those temperatures help to keep the delicate flavors in the Viognier, Vermentino, Roussanne and Grenache white grapes. The daytime warmed pebbles from the Rhône give advantageous nighttime warmth to the red varietals of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Marselan and Cinsault.
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.
Gently rolling hills covered by large, round stones on south-facing slopes, Costieres de Nimes is a substantial IGP zone that was formerly considered part of the Languedoc. Today it is included as a section of the southern Rhone; its climate, topography and wines put it more in line with that appellation. Grenache is its most important red variety, along with Mourvedre, Syrah and Carignan. Half of the production here is rosé.