Château des Nages, JT, Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, 2016

The JT cuvée from Michel Gassier’s Château des Nages is a blend of Syrah ballasted by just 5% Mourvèdre. In 2016, the wine is a dark, saturated black-red in colour, with sweetly enticing scents of blueberry and bramble fruits. The plush, voluptuous style of Costières de Nîmes is well to the fore here, though this wine has more grain and tenacity than the most opulent of its peers. The oak handling is well-judged, with half of the final blend ageing in cement. Enjoyable, expansive, exotic red wine.