Chateau d'Or et de Gueules
Owned and run by the incomparable Diane de Puymorin, this is an extraordinary property where innovation is the name of the game. Indeed Diane is perhaps one of the most exciting new vignerons to have emerged from these sun-drench vineyards that make up the Costieres de Nimes south-west of Avignon. She purchased this estate seven year ago and has transformed its fortunes. The vineyards are worked organically with respect to the terroir. Yields, especially for this area are very low. The grapes are also harvested as late as possible often with successive tries.
Fermentation is in enamel lined vats for the majority of the wines and ageing is carried out in a mixture of tank and oak barrels. Indeed the cellar is a wonderful hotchpotch of old enamel-lined fermentors, gleaming stainless steel vats and a selection of new and old barrique and demi-muids which put a gleam into the eyes of any self-respecting cooper. Diane loves to experiment, whether it be with the barrel-fermentation of her white wines, the creation a variety of late picked sweet goodies or the ageing of her delicious red wines in a mixture of oak and steel. Diane loves wood, new and old and big and small, the more variety the better! There is no fining and filtration for the top wines. The white Trassegum is a blend of 50% barrique fermented Roussanne with Grenache Blanc and Vermentino. The unique Rose Trassegum is a blend of barrique aged Mourvedre with Syrah and Grenache, which undergo a 24 hours maceration. For the reds there is the tank aged Cimels, and oak aged Trassegum, both wines possessing superb clarity and depth of fruit. Her wines are generally released when they are ready to be consumed, however, the one exception is her special cuvee called La Bolida, which means, rather disappointingly, 'the cuvee' in Occitan (another wine called Trassegum translates mischievously as love powder!). La Bolida comes from her oldest vineyard with vines approaching 100 years of age and yields of 8hl/ha taken from four separate tries. It is fermented and aged in oak and is consistently spectacular.
Fermentation is in enamel lined vats for the majority of the wines and ageing is carried out in a mixture of tank and oak barrels. Indeed the cellar is a wonderful hotchpotch of old enamel-lined fermentors, gleaming stainless steel vats and a selection of new and old barrique and demi-muids which put a gleam into the eyes of any self-respecting cooper. Diane loves to experiment, whether it be with the barrel-fermentation of her white wines, the creation a variety of late picked sweet goodies or the ageing of her delicious red wines in a mixture of oak and steel. Diane loves wood, new and old and big and small, the more variety the better! There is no fining and filtration for the top wines. The white Trassegum is a blend of 50% barrique fermented Roussanne with Grenache Blanc and Vermentino. The unique Rose Trassegum is a blend of barrique aged Mourvedre with Syrah and Grenache, which undergo a 24 hours maceration. For the reds there is the tank aged Cimels, and oak aged Trassegum, both wines possessing superb clarity and depth of fruit. Her wines are generally released when they are ready to be consumed, however, the one exception is her special cuvee called La Bolida, which means, rather disappointingly, 'the cuvee' in Occitan (another wine called Trassegum translates mischievously as love powder!). La Bolida comes from her oldest vineyard with vines approaching 100 years of age and yields of 8hl/ha taken from four separate tries. It is fermented and aged in oak and is consistently spectacular.
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