2015
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| Costières de Nimes |
| Dry red - full bodied, aged in vat |
Almost 100% Syrah, with just a tiny amount of Grenache
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13.0%
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Rack of lamb, rib of beef, feathered game, cheese
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Even better
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Now, or to 2028 and beyond
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| This is the estate's flagship wine, named in honour of winemaker Jerome Chardon's grandmother, Marie (Chardon-Marie is also the French name for milk thistle, hence the label design and the play on words). It comes from the best parcel of Syrah vines, with - allegedly - just a splash of Grenache in the mix, to conform to the Costieres de Nimes appellation rules. The colour is a medium-deep, semi-translucent cherry/blood red, fading to a lightly bricking rim. All manner of red and black fruits greet the nose - blackcurrant, damson and dark cherry, with little notes of black olive tapenade, cumin, fenugreek, peppermint and polished leather. The palate is so fresh and full of life, with masses of fresh black and red fruit and garrigue herb flavours, countered by stony minerality, fine, tea-like tannins and utterly mouth-watering cherry kernel acidity. It really is a supremely balanced and deceptively elegant wine, with a long, cool, sweet and sour finish. It's very much in the Northern Rhone style of winemaking (think of a young, ripe Cote-Rotie or Hermitage) and has the capacity to age and evolve beautifully, over the next 7 years or more. A fabulous wine! Certified organic and biodynamic. |
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