Winemaker Notes
Nostre Païs, or “Our Land” is Michel Gassier’s attempt at capturing what makes the Costières de Nîmes unique in the Rhône valley. For the Nostre Païs Rouge, Michel employs all the permitted red varieties in the appellation: Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre, Cinsault and Syrah. He avoids over maturity and prefers to ferment only half the cuvée in neutral French oak barrels. Fermentation are indigenous and varying amounts of whole clusters are retained based on the vintage.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming mostly from the Bec vineyard in the south, the 2015 Costières de Nîmes Nostre Païs checks in as a blend of 45% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 15% Carignan and the balance Mourvèdre and Cinsault. It sports a deep ruby color to go with fabulous Grenache notes of black raspberries, spice, garrigue, and pepper. Hedonistic, opulent and rich, yet also balanced and fresh, it will compete with $50-dollar Châteauneuf du Papes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A Grenache-led blend of five grape varieties, the 2015 Costieres de Nimes Nostre Pais features spicy, peppery aromas, ample weight and richness on the palate and attractive notes of cola, blueberries and cracked pepper. Supple and creamy in texture, it can already be enjoyed for its long, silky finish and combined sense of ripeness and balance.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.