Château Mourgues du Grès, Beaucaire

This is a post in the Spotlight on: Languedoc-Roussillon series

If you’ve ever ridden a train from Nîmes to Beaucaire, the chances are the vineyards that you’ve spotted along the way belonged to Château Mourgues du Grès. The 65 hectare family-owned estate is spread throughout Costières de Nîmes AOP and often finds itself remarkably close to the train line.

Undistracted by the passing trains, owner and winemaker François Collard makes full use of the varied mix of chalky, sandy and pebbly soils to create some stunning wines. But then again, he started his career at Château Lafite Rothschild.

Les Galets Dorés 2012 makes a good entry white wine. While simple in its citrusy notes, it’s very refreshing when served at the right temperature. The Terre d’Argence 2012 uses Viognier as the head note alongside the usual Languedoc varieties of Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache. The result is a white with surprisingly high acidity but a well rounded finish.

On the rosé, the Les Galets Rosés 2012 was showing some nice strawberry notes and while interesting, wasn’t quite for me.

The reds were the really impressive bunch. Terre de Feu 2011 was in a strange way creamy. The tannins had really softened with vanilla notes coming through hand in hand with cherry and chocolate. The Terre d’Argence 2011 was the favourite for me. Made from old vine Syrah and a touch of Grenache, the dark brambly fruits offered a seriously intense experience for the nose while restrained herbaceousness and elegance greeted the palate.

www.mourguesdugres.com