Chateau de Campuget – Syrah ‘La Sommeliere’, Costieres de Nimes – 2019

PRODUCER NOTE:
Château de Campuget was established in 1942 and is a top quality estate near Nîmes, which is steeped in history. The Château itself was built in 1753 and at the same time the first vines were planted, prompting the ‘1753’ range of wines which mark this historic date. Now in the hands of winemaker Franck-Lin Dalle, who is the third generation of his family to run the estate, the fusion of tradition and progression unites in the cellars where Franck-Lin deftly crafts wines with integrity, finesse and a wonderful expression of terroir from a wide range of traditional Rhône varieties. In 2019, Château de Campuget was certified as Haute Valeur Environmentale, which officially recognises the environmental performance of winegrowers, including biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategies, managed fertiliser use and water resource management.

VINTAGE:
A mild winter was followed by a dry spring, which promoted early budbreak. April and May experienced a cold snap with frost, which reduced yields. 2019 was a hot growing season, as sizzling heatwaves from late June to July, resulted in drought conditions throughout much of the region. Some localised hailstorms brought with them rain, which helped to refresh the vines. Harvesting took place in September, producing rich, concentrated wines, but with balancing natural acidity, which suggests the vines had periods to rest.

VINEYARD:
Costières de Nimes, the easternmost appellation of the Languedoc, is effectively part of the Rhône since the climate, soil and topography are so similar to those just over the river in the southern Côtes-du-Rhône vineyards. The relatively uniform soils are marked by large pebbles on gentle, typically south-facing slopes. Strict canopy management provides the vines with just the right amount of sun and shade to produce healthy and balanced fruit. The soils are formed of pebbles with alluvia.

WINEMAKING:
Made from selected grapes from the best vines on the estate, La Sommelière is the ultimate expression of the Campuget terroir. The wine was traditionally vinified, followed by maturation in oak barriques for a period of 12 months. Bottled without filtration.

TASTING NOTE:
Concentrated with ripe Syrah notes of chocolate and spice complemented by toasty oak.

GRAPE:
Syrah 100%.

COUNTRY:
France

REGION:
Rhône

SUB-REGION:
Costières de Nîmes