The OLD BRIDGE

2010 COSTIÈRES DE NIMES, Les Enfants Terribles, Mas Carlot. S. France

Alcohol Percentage: 14%
Area: Nimes is a beautiful town to the east of the Rhône, (not far from Châteauneuf-du-Pape), home to an historic Roman amphitheatre and also some extremely palatable local wine
Grape Variety: 50% Mourvèdre, 50% Syrah; half of each are aged in steel (to retain freshness), half in wood, for 9 months
Producer: Nathalie Blanc-Marès runs Mas Carlot, based in Bellegarde, just south of Nîmes. This wine is named after her four children but also refers to the difficulties of growing these grape varieties, particularly the capricious Mourvèdre
Vintage: 2010 Great year throughout France, particularly in the south
Cellar Potential: 2012-2016
Old Bridge Rating: Lovely mixture of bright, ripe fruitiness and meaty, herby complexity
Press Reviews: "Mid crimson. Very rich indeed. I tasted this immediately after Clos du Caillou’s top Châteauneuf and it stood up very well to the comparison. Very ripe and rich. Sweet and with perhaps slightly less undertow and potential than the Châteauneuf but a very good effort. The children in question are Blanche, Eugène, Olympe and Achille – powerful names! Very well done" - 16.5/20, www.jancisrobinson.com.
90/100, The Wine Advocate.
Four Stars, Decanter Magazine April 2012 - "Tasty, really enjoyable, classy, withlocal attributes"

• BACK TO LIST