From Languedoc to the Rhône
Recognised in 1986 as Costières du Gard, the appellation became Costières de Nîmes in 1989. Long attached to Languedoc, it joined the Rhône valley administratively in 2004, a change reflecting the kinship of its terroirs with those on the Rhône's right bank.
It occupies around twenty communes in Gard, on a plateau overlooking the Camargue plain.
Gress, the ancient Rhône's pebbles
The characteristic soil is locally called gress: rounded quartzite pebbles mixed with red clay, deposited by the Rhône in the Quaternary period. It is exactly the same formation as at Châteauneuf-du-Pape across the river.
These stones release heat at night, while the Mediterranean, around fifteen kilometres away, moderates extremes through sea breezes. Here too, the mistral keeps vineyards healthy.
Generous yet tempered
Reds, often led by Syrah, are deeply coloured and fleshy, with dark fruit, garrigue and pepper, and ripe tannins. They are enjoyed between three and eight years.
Whites based on Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne are broad and floral; direct, fruity rosés benefit from maritime freshness. Serve reds at 16°C, whites and rosés at 10°C.