WTN: Mas des Bressades Cuvee Excellence 2005

AC Costières de Nîmes
100 per cent Syrah.

Very dark red in the glass.

Leather, spicy, floral and smoky on the nose.

Nicely tangy, raspberry, cherry, light cranberry, red licorice, loads of spice, very rich, leather, fleshy, with a trace of bitterness.

With time, the wine became a bit tarter, showing rhubard and the nose became sharper with a burning roof tar note.

Leather and fruit on the tangy finish.

Despite the tartmess the wine showed in the latter stages, I did enjoy this and have enjoyed most wines from this dependable producer.

Purchased at $16.95 (Canadian).

Very good producer Bruce. I prefer to cellar for a couple of years. Good to see you are still drinking the good stuff!

As well as this one, I kinow two other very dependable producers in Costières de Nîmes, most of whose wines also have the merit of being very modestly priced -

Château des Nages - http://www.chateaudenages.com/en/chatea ... e-pear.php

and

Château Grande Cassagne - http://www.grandcruwinesltd.net/winemak ... ssagne.htm . This incidentally is from the site Grand Cru Wines, the UK mail order business of Liz and Mike Berry, the former owners of Kensington's La Vigneronne, which was my absolutely favourite wine merchant. Grande Cassagne was, and probably still is, a real stand-by.

These are sturdy and tasty wines from Southern Rhône varieties, which however never in my experience quite attain the magic of really good Côtes du Rhône or Côtes du Rhône Villages.

As well as this one, I kinow two other very dependable producers in Costières de Nîmes, most of whose wines also have the merit of being very modestly priced -

Château des Nages - http://www.chateaudenages.com/en/chatea ... e-pear.php

and

Château Grande Cassagne - http://www.grandcruwinesltd.net/winemak ... ssagne.htm . This incidentally is from the site Grand Cru Wines, the UK mail order business of Liz and Mike Berry, the former owners of Kensington's La Vigneronne, which was my absolutely favourite wine merchant. Grande Cassagne was, and probably still is, a real stand-by.

These are sturdy and tasty wines from Southern Rhône varieties, which however never in my experience quite attain the magic of really good Côtes du Rhône or Côtes du Rhône Villages.

Thanks for the suggestions Tim. Chateau des Nages shows up frequently here in Ontario and I have had it, I think. I don't recall seeing the Grade Cassagne.

Re: Château de Nages

Sorry, above seems to be a link to a fruit business of the same name. This is the link to the wine business - http://www.michelgassier.com/eng/index_e.html .

These are sturdy and tasty wines from Southern Rhône varieties, which however never in my experience quite attain the magic of really good Côtes du Rhône or Côtes du Rhône Villages.

Thanks for the suggestions Tim. Chateau des Nages shows up frequently here in Ontario and I have had it, I think. I don't recall seeing the Grade Cassagne.

I can second Tim's recommendation of Grande Cassagne, which produces a number of interesting wines including, of all things, a very respectable rosé.

Mark Lipton