Domaine Gassier
Costières de Nîmes, France
Located in the Costières de Nîmes AOC in the Southern Rhône, Domaine Gassier is a 5th generation, family-owned winery that makes a range of certified organic wines that overdeliver for the price. The Costières de Nîmes is the southernmost appellation of the Rhône valley, and it occupies a unique space between two distinct topographical and cultural areas. Avignon, located just to the northwest is the historic home of the “false Pope,” and is the heart of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC, where a terroir that includes galets stones adds to the structure and power of the wines.
Just to the south is the Camargue, a marshy area near the Mediterranean known for rice production, cattle farming, and wild horses. Nîmes, once a major Roman city, today has a Spanish influence and still hosts bullfights or corridas in which the object is not to kill the bull, but for a raseteur, or runner to attempt to grab three attributs (little ribbons, ties, and strings) that are affixed between the bulls’ horns. After the corrida, the bull is returned to the Camargue. The labels of Domaine Gassier are meant to honor this history with an image of a trident, which is used on the tip of a cattle prod and, on some labels, the image of a bull. The Costières de Nîmes then, is an in-between or liminal space, where the wash from Rhône River has brought galets and other soils from both the southern and northern portion of the Rhone valley and the influence of the nearby Mediterranean moderates the heat of southern France.
Domaine Gassier is run by husband and wife, Michel and Tina Gassier. Michel is the winemaker and he is now assisted by his dynamic daughter, Isabel Gassier. Isabel has been working at estates around the world, including our very own Winery Sixteen 600 in Sonoma, where she worked closely with Phil Coturri and the late Phillippe Cambie on their A Deux Tetes project. Isabel has also spearheaded Domaine Gassier’s conversion to regenerative agriculture, a process beyond organic and biodynamic viticulture, in which the goal is to work with nature and build alliances in the vineyard.
For example, rather than applying organic or biodynamic treatments to eliminate the three out of 100 insects that are dangerous for the vineyard, regenerative agriculture encourages an increase in predators by planting desirable plants and increasing the amount of non-harmful insects. Furthermore, regenerative agriculture encourages additional plants that grow when the vines are dormant and then provide more organic matter encouraging water retention when the vines are active. Perhaps most importantly, regenerative agriculture encourages carbon capture by avoiding tilling and keeping carbon in the ground. This is a process that the Gassiers are continually learning which plants (rye, daikon, legumes, clover, etc.), work best in their various soils.
In the cellar, Michel and Isabel do everything they can to make balanced and gently extracted wines. Red wines are fermented spontaneously with native yeasts. Primary fermentation for the white wines is encouraged through a pied de cuve, all of which takes place in a mixture of concrete and stainless steel tanks. Sulphur is not added during fermentation but only at the first racking, which can be a year after fermentation. Total SO2 for the reds are 40-50ppm with 20 free; the whites are about 65ppm with 25 free. Depending on the vintage, some percentage of whole cluster fermentation takes place for the red wines. Most cuvees see very little wood and the barrels, a combination of 228-liter, 500-liter, and 600-liter, are neutral.
Follow this link for a good interview with Michel Gassier.
Our Selections
Gassier Embruns de Viognier IGP Garde 2022
Though Viognier is not permitted to be labeld Costières de Nîmes AOC as a single varietal wine, the Gassiers are making quite a case for this notoriously tricky grape when it’s grown on chalky soils.
The grapes come into the winery and are manually sorted before destemming and and crushing. After 12 hours of skin-contact at cold temperatures, 85% of the grapes were go into stainless steel for fermentation, with the remaining 15% fermented in barrel. There is a unique vibrance and minerality to this viognier grown on high-limestone soils. We still find the classic apricot and tangerine on the nose and palate but backed with a vivacious citrus edge. 13% alc.
Gassier Brise de Grenache Costières de Nîmes Rosé 2023
The Gassier Brise de Grenache Rosé is a blend of 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre from organic vineyards overlooking the famous marshes of the Camargue. This terroir of Rhône pebbles, atop veins of ancient seabed chalk and cooled by Mediterranean breezes, gives a pure expression of fruit with a zingy freshness. The grapes for this wine were harvested early in order to maintain freshness then pressed and kept on the skins for a mere 12-24 hours in order to gain a little color and aromatic complexity. 40% of the grapes are saignee (bled or drained from crushed red grapes) and 60% were directly pressed before a temperature controlled fermentation over 21 days.
This is a beautiful and delicate rosé with a pale, rose petal appearance, aromas of bright red fruits (raspberry, strawberry, cassis, red currant) and a crisp, juicy, persistent finish.
Gassier Fleur de Syrah Costières de Nîmes Rouge 2020
The Gassier Fleur de Syrah is 95% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre from organic vineyards overlooking the famous marshes of the Camargue. This terroir of Rhône pebbles, atop veins of ancient seabed chalk and cooled by Mediterranean breezes, gives unique vibrance and minerality to the wine. With its silky texture and bright aromas of fresh fruit, this Syrah will go with a wide array of red meats, stews, and spicy dishes.
Hand-harvested grapes are fermented 25% whole-cluster and 75% destemmed in temperature controlled (24°C) tanks with pump-over to retain the fruit flavors. Half of the wine aged in concrete tanks while the other half remained in French oak barrels for nine months before bottling. 90 pts — James Suckling
Michel et Tina Gassier Cotes du Rhone 2021
Bottled under Gassier’s negoce line, Michel et Tina, this Cotes du Rhone is an updated classic. Made from grapes sourced from both sides of the Rhone; the right bank with its terroir of big pebbles and red clay, gives power and richness while the left bank, with its terroir of calcium rich white clay, brings freshness and structure.
The grapes are de-stemmed, not crushed, then cool vinified, macerated for five weeks, with no SO2 added until racking, then aged in concrete vats for one year to preserve the purity of the fruit. This Grenache-based Rhone is deep ruby red in appearance with aromas of ripe black fruit, violet and licorice. The palate is full and velvety, with flavors of blackberry, cassis and hints of thyme and rosemary. The tannin on the finish is fine grained with pleasant freshness.
75% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah |14.5% alc | Bottled with minimal SO2
Gassier Nostre Pais Costières de Nîmes Blanc 2019
Nostre Pais, meaning "our country" or "our land" is an homage to the southern Rhone region. The 2019 is a classic white Rhone blend consisting of 53% Grenache Blanc, 22% Clairette, 14% Viognier and 11% Roussanne from organic vineyards of galets (large stones) on iron rich clay, limestone and chalk. The grapes are spontaneously fermented separately and aged on the lees for eight months in a combination of 50% used French oak barrels and 50% in cement tanks before being blended.. The wine has a pale yellow color with green tints. The nose features aromas of flowers, white fruits and citrus notes while the palate is textured yet framed by brisk lemon acidity.
92 pts – Jeb Dunnuck & 91 pts – Wine Enthusiast
Gassier Nostre Pais Costières de Nîmes Rouge 2020
A blend of 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre, 5% Carignan and 5% Cinsault from certified organic parcels of old vines with naturally small yields planted on both calcareous soils and “Grès” (rolled pebbles from the Rhône over red clay rich in iron). The grapes were slowly fermented using a mixture of 1/3rd whole cluster fruit and 2/3rds whole berries without adding SO2 during fermentation. After fermentation, half the wine was aged in two and three year old French oak barrels for 12 months while the other half remained in concrete tanks before being blended and bottled unfiltered.
This rich wine features a deep red color with violet highlights, a pure and complex nose with black cherry notes, and a balanced and textured palate with hints of plum, cacao, and dried herbs.
91 pts — Jeb Dunnuck
Michel et Tina Gassier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2021
The Michel and Tina Gassier Chateauneuf comes from negoce fruit planted on sandy soils mixed with galets and red clay with cooler exposures. A blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre, the grapes, coming from the lieu-dits of La Bédine, Pignan, and La Crau, were hand harvested and selectively sorted before being destemmed and fermented in concrete for 30 days, then aged in demi-muids (600L barrels) for one year before bottling without filtration. The wine, a deep garnet in color with brilliant highlights, features notes of raspberry, garrigues, and a hint of orange zest. On the palate, there is incredible purity and freshness with loads of red fruits and fine tannins. 15% alc