Anne Collard Côtes du Rhône L'Aube 2020

	Trouvaille off the beaten track
	Beautiful ripe dark fruit, spicy and full flavor
	Wonderful with leg of lamb or roe deer, but also just like that

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

About six hectares are planted with old sticks of grenache (45%), syrah (25%), carignan (20%) and mourvèdre (10%). Anne immediately started working the vineyard organically - she even makes the wine in a biodynamic way. The vineyard is now in its second year of three-harvest conversion for official certification.

Anne's ambition is to make a competitive quality outside of the established cru areas such as Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This is the first harvest she thinks is good enough to bottle under her own label. The quality is nothing short of amazing. Especially after a few minutes of aeration in the glass, the clean aromas of 'garrigue' spiciness and ripe dark fruit are very seductive. The taste is powerful and ripe, without sweet notes and with sufficient tension from the tannins present and pleasant freshness.

In our opinion, this beautiful southern Rhône is a challenge to classically made mid-range Châteauneuf and Gigondas. And that for a price that has long been unattainable in these well-known areas.

Drink at
Refined, full-bodied red wine to enjoy solo or with spicy dishes such as boeuf bourguignon, pot-au-feu or matured hard cheeses.

Tasting note
Deep ruby red wine with a complex scent of blackberry, black currant, bay leaf, pepper, toast and cocoa. Powerful and creamy taste with good freshness and firm, round tannins. The finish is persistent, smooth and spicy.