Anne Collard Côtes du Rhône L'Aube 2022

	Finding off the beaten track
	Beautiful ripe dark fruit, spicy and a full flavour
	Wonderful with leg of lamb or venison, but also just like that

Description
Anne Collard is a trained geologist and, together with her husband François, owns the successful Mourgues du Grès winery in Costières de Nîmes. In 2018, she purchased her own vineyards in the southernmost tip of the Côtes du Rhône.

About six hectares are planted with old vines of Grenache (45%), Syrah (25%), Carignan (20%), and Mourvèdre (10%). Anne immediately began farming the vineyard organically—she even produces the wine biodynamically. The vineyard is now in its second year of the three-harvest conversion required for official certification.

Anne's ambition is to produce a competitive quality wine outside the established cru regions like Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is the first vintage she considers good enough to bottle under her own label. The quality is simply astonishing. Especially after a few minutes of aeration in the glass, the pure aromas of garrigue spice and ripe dark fruit are very seductive. The palate is powerful and ripe, without sweetness and with sufficient tension from the present tannins and pleasant freshness.

In our opinion, this beautiful southern Rhône is a challenger to classic Châteauneufs and mid-range Gigondas, and at a price that has long been unattainable in these renowned regions.

Drinking at
A refined, full-bodied red wine to enjoy solo or with spicy dishes such as boeuf bourguignon, pot-au-feu or mature, hard cheeses.

Tasting note
A deep ruby-red wine with complex aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, bay leaf, pepper, toast, and cocoa. Powerful and creamy on the palate with good freshness and firm, rounded tannins. The finish is lingering, smooth, and spicy.