Costières de Nîmes - Domaine Rapatel - Vallée du Rhône

Domaine Rapatel	version française
Costières de Nîmes

Co-ops and Estates

Who is Le Nez ?

	Rough conditions for Costières de Nîmes AOC The Costières de Nîmes vineyard is located at the junction of Rhône and Languedoc. Unlike most wine regions in the south of France this terroir does not benefit from any protection of surrounding mountains or hills. Here the Mistral blows as a storm, summer heats are torrid and rainy days are rare...to get any plant growing is a long and continuous fight against these rough conditions. The vine which adapted here has great potential. You will meet two types of winegrowers working on the 4.000 hectares or the Costières de Nîmes appellation. A few give importance to traditional viticulture while others go for modernity and productivity.

	Gérard Eyraud, a fanatic man... Among the traditional winegrowers one deserves particular attention : Gérard Eyraud at Domaine Rapatel. Successively bullfighter, opera singer and finally winegrower, Gérard is first a fanatic man giving his heart and soul to everything he undertakes. Absolutely respectful to nature, he loves his wild Camargue and wants to pay her tribute by offering the best wines to the local gastronomy in order to match the genuine "brandade de Nimes" or ox specialities with dignity. Gérard does not accept any compromises and definitly shows the way to those who choose for quality.

	...who created "Grande Signature" Very low yields (30 hl/ha for Grande Signature red and 25 hl/ha for Grande Signature white), fermentation with natural yeast (no addition of selected yeast), no filtration and only a tiny dose of SO2 "just in case". The result is absolutely fabulous : concentration and style, aromatic intensity and fluidity, character and balance, grandeur and sobriety...qualifying terms usually in opposition that winemaking magician Gérard Eyraud manages to reconcile. It is not risky to claim that only a few wine lovers have had the privilege of tasting such wines.

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