SOLD OUT! We know it’s getting hot out there and many of you are craving whites and dry roses, but trust us folks, this is a magnificent, all around red wine for all of your summer needs.
Grilling steaks, lamb, pork or chicken? This one works with all of the above! Need a versatile red to please all sorts of different palates? Look no further than the 2012 Chateau La Tour de Beraud Costieres de Nimes Rouge.
2012 Chateau La Tour de Beraud Costieres de Nimes Rouge
Rich, ripe, and spicy Southern Rhone at a great price!
SOLD OUT
Chateau La Tour de Beraud is located just south of the Chateauneuf du Pape in the rugged, rocky Costieres de Nimes appellation. The estate is run by the talented Francois Collard, and this is a man who knows that a great wine is only made by paying attention to every single little detail. How’s he know this? Francois was the longtime oenologist at famed Bordeaux estate Chateau Lafite Rothschild.
Today, Francois is considered one of the most influential and gifted viticulteurs and winemakers in the region. Located just south of Avignon, Chateau La Tour de Beraud’s vineyards are located on south facing hillsides composed of very rocky, well drained soils much like you would find in Chateauneuf du Pape. These soils allow for good drainage after the autumn rains, and the legendary Mistral wines blow the vines dry.
Currently, Francois farms all of his grapes organically, but vintage 2012 was his second year of converting all of his vineyards over to biodynamics. His vineyards are planted primarily to Grenache, with smaller amounts of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Marselan mixed in, and his viness average 50 years of age. He uses no oak as he wants his wines to express the purity of fruit and minerality that Costieres de Nimes is known for. Clean farming, old vines, and non-interventionist winemaking result in pure and precise wines that express terroir (sense of place).
Vintage 2012 was a great one in the Southern Rhone, and this wine is showing all of the characteristics of the vintage. A blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre, and 5% Marslean (a cross of Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon), this truly behaves like a Chateauneuf du Pape in a lot of ways.
The nose is warm, rich, spicy and earthy, with soaring notes of kirsch, warm raspberry, pepper, herbs de Provence, and damp earth. In the glass, the wine is a deep ruby/purple color and after a few swirls of the glass, the aromas continue to evolve and intensify. On the palate, the wine is full bodied and robust, but plush and smooth at the same time. Bold flavors of pepper and herb accented cherry, raspberry, and plum glide across the palate and the wine finishes with silky tannins and moderate acidity.
We enjoyed a bottle this past Sunday with friends and grilled burgers with caramelized onion and blue cheese, and all in attendance were floored by this wine. Even better, you can drink this one now and over the next 3 to 4 years with anything from grilled meats to hearty stews.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville