2024 Château Mourgues du Grès Galets Dorés Blanc, Costières de Nîmes AOC

A blend of mostly Grenache with a compliment of Roussanne, Vermentino and Clairette grown in the rare limestone soil of the area. The northern exposure of this terroir provides a cooler environment for the vines and inflects the harsher extremes of the mediterranean summer. This northern site also lends a substantial vivacity to the wines which is guarded throughout its wine-making process by a rigorous temperature control preserving all of its natural fruit and freshness. Fermented and aged in stainless steel.

90 Points, John Gilman. "2024 Costières de Nîmes “Galets Dorés” Blanc- Château Mourgues du Grès The 2024 vintage of Mourgues du Grès’ bottling of Galets Dorés Blanc bottling is made from a cépages of fifty percent grenache blanc, thirty percent roussanne and twenty percent vermentino, which is as bit less complicated than the blend that comprised the 2023 version. The vines are planted on chalky soils and the vineyards have a northern exposition that helps deflect some of global warming’s effects. The wine comes in at an even thirteen percent octane in 2024 and delivers a bright and complex nose of pear, tart orange, chalky minerality, lemon peel, dried flowers and a lovely touch of green olive in the upper register from the vermentino. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, ripe and complex, with a superb core of fruit, lovely soil signature and grip, fine framing acids and a long, well balanced and succulent finish. This is excellent wine."

Château Mourgues du Grès, located in Costières de Nîmes, is a leading estate in this southern Rhône appellation, run by Anne and François Collard, who began bottling under the château name in 1993 after recognizing the region’s potential. The domaine sits on the Beaucaire plateau, where galets stones, sand, and pockets of limestone, combined with Mediterranean influence and cooling nighttime temperatures, contribute to wines that balance ripeness with freshness. A pioneer in the area, the estate helped shape modern viticulture in the appellation, including early plantings of Syrah and later the introduction of Marselan. Farming has been organic since 2004 and biodynamic since 2020, with a focus on low intervention, minimal sulfur use, and careful parcel management. Both in vineyard and cellar, the approach emphasizes purity and site expression, positioning Château Mourgues du Grès as a reference point for quality in the appellation.