Costières de Nîmes AOC

Costières de Nîmes has viticultural roots stretching back more than two millennia. The Greeks introduced viticulture to the area, and Roman legionaries settled at Nîmes after Julius Caesar's Egyptian campaigns in 31 BC, leaving a lasting agricultural imprint. In 280 AD, the Governor of Narbonne ordered the replanting of regional vineyards. By the 14th century, wines from Saint-Gilles, Nîmes and the Costière were among the most sought-after at the Papal Court in Avignon. In 1955, Philippe Lamour, a Parisian lawyer and Costières landowner, built the Canal du Bas Rhône Languedoc and was appointed President of the Syndicat des Costières du Gard, becoming a driving force for quality improvements. The region achieved VDQS recognition in 1951, AOC status in 1986, and took its current name in 1989.

• Roman settlement at Nîmes dates to 31 BC; bottles of Costières de Nîmes bear the city's emblem, a crocodile chained to a palm tree, symbolising Egypt's surrender to Rome
• The Abbey of Saint-Gilles du Gard, 20 km south of Nîmes, played a central medieval role in developing viticulture; 14th-century wines from the region were popular at the Papal Court in Avignon
• Philippe Lamour's presidency of the syndicate from the 1950s and his work on regional irrigation infrastructure were instrumental in securing quality recognition and ultimately AOC status in 1986
• Administrative transfer to the Rhône regional wine committee was formalised on 19 July 2004, aligning Costières de Nîmes with its stylistic peers rather than the Languedoc region to which it geographically belongs

Costières de Nîmes lies mainly south and east of the city of Nîmes, with its southeastern boundary following the Gard département border halfway toward Arles. The appellation vineyards span roughly 40 kilometres between the lowland plain of the Petit Rhône and the marshlands of the Petite Camargue, bordered to the north by the valley of the Gardon. The landscape is relatively flat and gently sloping; the term costières itself refers to these gentle, stony slopes. Soils are composed of rolled pebbles (grès) deposited by prehistoric Rhône flooding in layers 5 to 15 metres deep, with sand of varying colour from pale yellow to dark red, underlain by clay that provides moderate moisture even in drought. The Mediterranean climate brings 2,700 hours of annual sunshine, kept in check by the Mistral from the north and cooling sea breezes that blow across the hot Camargue on summer afternoons, creating diurnal temperature swings that preserve grape acidity.

• Soils: rolled pebbles (grès) in layers 5 to 15 metres deep over clay and red sandy clay; free-draining yet moisture-retaining, forcing deep root growth and concentrating flavour
• The Mistral wind mitigates disease pressure in the vineyard, reducing the need for chemical treatments; 30% of the appellation's vines are now grown organically
• Mediterranean sea breezes blowing across the hot Camargue create convective air currents over the stony soils, cooling summer afternoons and widening diurnal temperature ranges to preserve natural grape acidity
• The appellation is geographically Languedoc but stylistically Rhône, sitting at the meeting point of the Rhône, Gard and Durance rivers before they reach the Mediterranean

Red and rosé wines are built around the classic southern Rhône trio of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, which must together represent at least 60% of the final blend, with Grenache and Syrah required to constitute at least 20% of vineyard plantings. Carignan and Cinsault are permitted accessory varieties (each capped at 40%), and Marselan is allowed up to 10%. Red wines display ripe red and black fruit, garrigue notes, white pepper from Syrah, and a smooth tannic structure with a characteristically fresh Mediterranean finish. Rosés may include up to 10% white varieties, producing light, dry, and fruit-forward wines. Whites are a small but growing category led by Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne, which must form at least 50% of any white blend, supplemented by Bourboulenc, Clairette, Rolle (Vermentino) and Viognier. As of 2025, five climate-adaptation VIFA varieties are permitted up to 10% of any blend.

• Reds and rosés: principal varieties (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) minimum 60% of blend; Grenache and Syrah together minimum 20% of vineyard; Carignan and Cinsault each maximum 40%; Marselan maximum 10%
• Whites: Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne minimum 50% of blend; auxiliary varieties include Bourboulenc, Clairette, Rolle (Vermentino) and Viognier; a minimum of two varieties is required in all blends
• All wines require a minimum of two grape varieties; minimum alcohol is 11% across all colours
• VIFA climate-adaptation varieties authorised as of 2025 (max 10% of blend): Montepulciano and Morrastel for reds and rosés; Piquepoul blanc, Souvignier gris and Tourbat for whites

Mas des Bressades is one of the most acclaimed estates in the appellation. Founded by Roger Marès, who purchased the property in Manduel in 1964, it now covers around 45 hectares under the direction of his son Cyril, who returned home in 1996 after studying in Montpellier and gaining international experience at California's Chalone Vineyards and in Chile. Cyril has reduced yields to 30 to 40 hectolitres per hectare and gained organic certification in 2020. Château de Campuget, a beautiful estate dating back to 1640 as a property (with its château building constructed in 1753), has been in the Dalle family since 1941 and is currently managed by Franck-Lin Dalle, the third generation of his family at the helm. Château Mourgues du Grès, run by François and Anne Collard, takes its name from the Ursuline nuns (mourgues in Provençal) who managed the estate in the 16th century. François returned to the family estate in 1990 and released the first domaine-bottled wine in 1993; the estate has been organically farmed since 2004 (certified 2011) and is biodynamic certified since 2020.

• Mas des Bressades: Roger Marès bought the estate in 1964; son Cyril took over in 1996 after international winemaking experience; 45 hectares, organic certified 2020, yields kept at 30 to 40 hl/ha
• Château de Campuget: property dates to 1640, château building to 1753; Dalle family proprietors since 1941; Franck-Lin Dalle is third-generation winemaker; certified Haute Valeur Environnementale since 2019
• Château Mourgues du Grès: François Collard returned in 1990; first bottled wine 1993; pioneer in the appellation (François's father was the first to plant Syrah here); biodynamic certified across entire estate from 2020

Costières de Nîmes is an AOC recognised by INAO under decree of 4 July 1986 and administered since July 2004 by the Rhône regional wine committee based in Avignon. Wines are produced in selected parcels across 24 communes in the Gard département. Minimum alcohol is 11% for all colours. Reds require a minimum 25% Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre together at minimum 20% of vineyard plantings; Carignan and Cinsault are each capped at 40%; Marselan is capped at 10%. Whites must be blended from at least two varieties, with Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne comprising a minimum 50%. Rosés may include up to 10% white varieties from the appellation. Five VIFA climate-adaptation varieties have been permitted since 2025 at up to 10% of any final blend. Around 30% of the appellation's vines are now certified organic, the result of over a decade of work including a formal Environmental and Landscape Charter signed by 14 communes.

• AOC decree: 4 July 1986; administered by Rhône regional committee from 19 July 2004; 24 communes in the Gard département
• Minimum alcohol 11% across all colours; all wines must be blends of at least two varieties
• Red regulations: Grenache minimum 25% of blend; Syrah and Mourvèdre combined minimum 20% of vineyard; Carignan and Cinsault each maximum 40%; Marselan maximum 10%
• Approximately 30% of appellation vines are grown organically, supported by the Costières de Nîmes Environmental and Landscape Charter and related biodiversity programmes

Costières de Nîmes offers an authentic and accessible wine-tourism experience that avoids the crowds of more famous Rhône appellations. The city of Nîmes, with its remarkably preserved Roman amphitheatre and the nearby Pont du Gard aqueduct, forms a compelling cultural anchor. Château de Campuget, just 5 km from the Nîmes-Pont-du-Gard TGV station, offers cellar visits, tastings, a summer bistrot, and accommodation. Château Mourgues du Grès in Beaucaire hosts wine-tourism activities throughout the year. The appellation holds the Vignobles et Découvertes label. Every Thursday in July and August, Nîmes hosts JeuDiVin, an outdoor wine-tasting event in the city centre. The festive Feria de Pentecôte and Feria des Vendanges in Nîmes are traditional occasions when the appellation's wines take centre stage at La Bodéga des Costières.

• Château de Campuget is 5 km from the Nîmes-Pont-du-Gard TGV station and offers tastings, estate stays, and summer dining; Château Mourgues du Grès in Beaucaire hosts wine-tour experiences year-round
• Nîmes's Roman amphitheatre and the Pont du Gard aqueduct are UNESCO-recognised monuments within easy reach of the wine estates
• Vignes Toquées (spring) offers a gastronomic walk among the vines with Michelin-starred chefs and around 30 winemakers; JeuDiVin runs every Thursday evening in Nîmes in July and August
• The annual Feria de Pentecôte and Feria des Vendanges in Nîmes celebrate local culture, bullfighting traditions, and Costières wines at La Bodéga des Costières