Ch Guiot Numa Costieres de Nimes 2017

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91 pts Wine Enthusiast

And now for a change of pace… we used to sell a ton of wines from Costieres de Nimes. Located to the west of the Cotes du Rhone, and northeast of Languedoc, the region is well-suited for making wine. Free-draining stone and red clay soils force the vines to grow deep in search of water and nutrients, a generally accepted recipe for more complex wines. Although very sunny and dry, the famous cool, northern “Mistral” wine from the upper Rhone valley provide relief and result in higher acidity in the wine to offset the ripe fruit. Additionally, rising hot air from the Costieres’ stony soil pulls cooling breezes from the nearby Mediterranean. Sounds perfect for wine, right?

So what happened? Why don’t we see or sell very many wines from the region anymore? Well, until 2004, Costieres was officially part of the Languedoc region. But, given its similarities geographically and climatically, it was moved into the Rhone appellation. Hmm… right about the time when Chateauneuf du Pape was enjoying its renaissance, and pulling the more established regions of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Rasteau along with it. Not to mention all of the basic Cotes du Rhone wines being offered by these Chateauneuf producers. I think it is fair to say that Costieres de Nimes was “squeezed” out, the proverbial black sheep.

And you know what that means… value city!

Ok, so what have we got?

95% Syrah and 5% Grenache from 50+ year-old vines. Double-sized barrels (500L) are used to lessen the oak impact, and only 20% new oak is used. The Syrah explodes with aromas of violets, dark blackberries and cherries along with cocoa and smoky anise notes… backed up by the juicy, peppery Grenache that  adds a certain bonhomie to the wine. (Oh, yeah… stretching my French thesaurus…)

“Whiffs of sun-dried thyme and eucalyptus accent intensely ripe cassis and mulberry in this glossy, concentrated wine. it's luscious and fruit forward yet nuanced by lingering veins of violet candy and bramble. Persistent but neatly integrated tannins frame the finish. It drinks beautifully already but should hold through 2025.” WE


Or reply. The wine will be available Wednesday, as ordered. Supplies are limited.