Boise Coop Wine Shop

The Wines of Domaine de la Petite Cassagne

• May 22, 2008

Domaine de la Petite Cassagne is located four kilometers from the village of St Gilles on south/south-eastern exposed slopes of the Costières de Nîmes in France’s Rhône Valley. The soils here are characterized by cailloux deposited by the Rhône River centuries ago. Diane de Puymorin is the dynamic young owner of this super property, which she purchased in 1998. Diane’s goal was to craft unique wines within the Costières de Nîmes appellation. She uses only organic farming methods and believes in strictly limiting yields. Unique pruning and leaf pulling techniques help her to optimize the maturity of fruit in her vineyards, and allow her to harvest before the autumnal weather changes.

2007 Petite Cassagne Blanc, $10.99

Diane has been expanding her holdings by planing new vines each year, and now she has 5 acres of white varietals in production. This is only the second year for her Petite Cassagne Blanc, a blend of 40 percent Rolle (Vermentino in Italy) and 60 percent Grenache Blanc. The fruit is pressed immediately after picking and fermented in temperature-controlled tanks to capture all the fresh and floral peach and citrus aromas. On the flavor front, creamy stone fruit is laced with sweet lime and orange zest, with a crisp and lively finish.

2007 Petite Cassagne Rosé, $9.99

The vines destined for this bottling are pruned explicitly for rosé production and are picked early for optimal fruit and freshness. After 12 hours of skin-contact, Diane employs pressurage directe, or pressing expressly for making rosé. The Petite Cassagne is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, super fresh and bright. Dry rosé is the perfect summer sipper, as charming as it is refreshing. This one offers a bold blast of ripe strawberry fruit on the nose and in the mouth, that’s nicely balanced by just the right hit of acidity along with touches of mineral and sweet herb. A refreshing wine that is absolutely delicious!

2005 Petite Cassagne Rouge

A blend of Grenache, Syrah and old-vine Carignan, this is a medium-bodied wine, packed with black cherry and dark berry flavors, layered with earth tones and wonderful notes of indigenous herbs like lavender and rosemary. The tannins are very soft and the finish very long. Most of the reds currently coming in from the Costieres de Nimes are from the 2006 vintage, but the dense fruit in this wine stays closed in with a rustic roughness that needs time to open up and soften a bit. The extra year in the bottle works wonders. A wine that cries out to be paired with barbecued meat or fowl.