Château Mas Neuf Wine Dinner

Privé Grill
Tasted Monday, February 3, 2014 by Derek Darth Taster with 392 views

Introduction

The position of Château Mas Neuf, half way up the southern flank of the Costières de Nîmes is very special. The exposure to the sun is similar to that found in the Languedoc or Provence, but the proximity of lagoons and the sea allows it to take advantage of sea breezes drifting up from the Mediterranean. In summer, dew settles during the night and early morning, and temperatures are 4 to 5°C cooler than those found further inland. At the Southern extremity of the Rhone Valley (a very warm region), this unexpected coolness is a real singularity which marks the selection of the most adapted grape varieties and on the style of wine. Thus, the "Rhône Paradox".

Flight 1 (6 Notes)

  • 2011 Château Mas Neuf Costières-de-Nîmes Blanc Conviviales

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes

    Rousanne (10%) & Viognier (90%) blend. Served as aperitif. Mild honey on the nose. On the palate, tropical fruits especially starfruit, and mild herbs. Young and fresh. High acidity. With more air becomes sweeter and more tropical fruit flavours apparent. Went well with the Brie cheese canapes but not with the tuna.

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  • 2012 Château Mas Neuf Costières-de-Nîmes Rhône Paradox Blanc

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes

    White Grenache (65%), Roussanne (35%).
    Muted nose. Good crisp acidity. Full of minerals especially limestone. Overall very much like a Chablis. Excellent pairing with fried Pacific oyster and ceviche of Maine scallops. With more air and towards the end of the dinner, this developed more fruity flavours.

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  • 2010 Château Mas Neuf Costières-de-Nîmes Paradox

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes

    Syrah (50%), Grenache (15%), Mourvèdre (20%), Carignan (15%).
    Animal nose with a slight undertone of floral scents. Quite like a Northern Rhone Syrah. Elegant black fruits and mild spice of the Syrah towards the medium finish. Tannins feel quite light-weight giving this wine a medium body. With more air, it gets sweeter but a bit more medicinal flavours. The animal component accentuated the flavours of the roasted pork porketta it was paired with. By the end of the dinner, the remainder left to air in the glass seemed to have lost quite a bit of character.

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  • 2009 Château Mas Neuf Costières-de-Nîmes La Mourvache

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes

    Mourvèdre (50%), Grenache (50%).
    Lots of oak on the nose. Initially just a teeny bit musty. Lots of leather on the palate, with black fruits underlying. Smooth tannins and nice mouth-feel. However, with more air, the musty oak nose and mustiness on the palate increased to a level that put me off. My fellow dining partners liked this though. Paired well with Cote de Beouf.

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  • 2011 Château Mas Neuf Costières-de-Nîmes Paradox

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes

    Collaboration with F. Villard and L. Baudet.
    Animal and mild flowery nose. Young, fresh, sweet, smooth tannins. No oak. Herby, medicinal raspberry flavour. Herbiness gets more apparent with air. I feel this has good potential for the future. Keep for at least another 5-8 years. Will develop complexity.

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  • 2008 Château Mas Neuf Armonio

    France, Languedoc Roussillon, Vin de Pays d'Oc

    Grenache Noir (40 %), Merlot (30 %), Cabernet (30%).
    Collaboration with Louis Mitjavile of St Emilion (Tertre Roteboeuf, Roc de Cambes, Domaine d’Aurage).
    Although I see this as a weird blend of international grape varietals, it was no doubt the nicest (albeit overpriced IMO) and most balanced wine of the wine dinner.
    Nice sweet elegant nose. On the palate, sweet licorice, mild creamy chocolate, blueberries and chalk. Full bodied but fine smooth tannins. Quite similar to a Rocland Estate "Chocolate Box" GSM blend (Aussie) I had before, but much more refined. Keep for a few more years and will be even better.
    Paired well with lamb.

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Closing

The "Rhône Paradox" indeed results in wines with soft smooth tannins and approachable in youth.

The wine-food pairings were good.

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