Michel Gassier "Lou Coucardie" Rouge 2012 (Costieres de Nimes, Languedoc Roussillon, France) - [WA 93] [VM 92]

About This Wine: This experimental cuvée represents the essence of my work as a winemaker. I seek to explore uncharted territories, with the hope of finding the most original expression of my terroir. Baptized after an old regional tradition of bull games, “Lou Coucardié” is that fierce male bull defending a set of horn attributes in a crowded arena. Strong and courageous, he represents the ideal of his race.TERROIR: rolled pebbles and red clay. AOC Costières de Nîmes.APPELLATION : Costières de NîmesVARIETALS & DISTINCTIONS : vary by vintage. For more information, please refer to our fact sheet.VINIFICATION:- selection of parcels of old vines with naturally small yields- manual harvest with double sorting and incorporation of whole cluster (30%)- skin contact maceration at cold temperature for fruit extraction- long macerations & manual punching down of the cap- malolactic fermentation in once used barrels- aging in neutral French oak barrels on lees for 12 to 18 months- one si