Costières De Nimes - Pierre Vidal

An untamed wild streak runs throughout all of Pierre’s wines, which practically sing of their place of origin. A typical blend of 60% Grenache with roughly equal parts of the Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes, it’s a fleshy but elegant wine, with an enveloping core of spicy dark berries and a firm grip of tannins. But beyond the fruit, it’s the expression of the soil that gives his wine its true identity. First, there’s a whiff of what the locals call “garrigue,” the combination of brushy herbs and botanicals that grow wild in the region by the side of the road. On the finish, the wine displays a deep-veined minerality, suggesting the flinty pebbles (called grés) that litter Pierre’s vineyards. The Platonic ideal of a “food wine,” this big-boned red is best appreciated with rich and hearty dishes.