The vineyard of Chateau d’Espeyran was planted in 1796 … precisely here! Located in Saint Gilles, 25 km south of Nîmes la Romaine, on the edge of the little Camargue, on the last lands of the Costière, this unique terroir, meeting point of the Rhône valley and the Camargue, has all the assets to produce the highest quality wines.
Terroir: a winemaker’s dream
Established on sunny plains, the vine is rooted in soils composed of stony alluvium of durancian origin: pebble terraces typical of Costières de Nîmes, which is called here the GRESS, on limestone soils.
It is the sea breeze of Camargue when combined with the mass of stones descended from the Alps, still warm through the night, that preserves all the freshness of the fruit and emphasizes the typicity of our wines.
It is the elements of Sun, Water, Stone and Wind that all participate in this glory.
A Mediterranean type climate where the morning air is crisp, afternoons are hot and nights are cool. With sea inflections, underground springs, an exceptional average of 2700 hours of sunshine a year, a rain regime concentrated on only a few days and not to forget to mention the Mistral that blows here all year round to clean up the vineyard.
The wine was already cultivated here in the thirteenth century because of the exceptional qualities of the soil and also the fresh and abundant water resource present from 5 meters of depth.
Environmental approach
In order to promote the outstanding biodiversity of the site and our environmental-friendly farming techniques, we have started a process of certification for the vineyard with the High Environmental Value (HVE) standard.
The selected fruits: the ideal alchemy
To obtain freshness and multiply the aromas for our more complex wines, we grow traditional Rhône valley cépages. Here Sir Grenache gives power, body, alcohol. Lady Syrah, on the other hand, provides tannins, colour, perfume and aromas.
And Marselan and Mourvèdre complete the grape mixture to give our wines the qualities and complexity required for the great red wines of Costières de Nîmes.
Our white cépages, Vermentino, Chardonnay, Roussanne et Marsanne bring freshness and tension to our white wines.
Grenache, the great of Spain in paradise
Of Spanish origin, Grenache is a grape variety established in France since the Middle Ages. Its berry clusters give a sweet juice, associated with Syrah, it produces the best red and southern rosé wines.
A favourite of stony, warm and highly reverberated soils, perfectly adapted to the Mediterranean climate, this fruit finds all the ingredients in the Domaine d’Espeyran to allow a long and good maturation period.
On the aroma side, it is characterized by a luscious note of black cherry. Beyond that, there are nuances of dried figs, tobacco, mocha and white pepper.
Thanks to good control of the yield, it produces powerful red wines, vibrant in color and generous of a large extent in mouth … and silky aromatic rosés.
« The best Syrah in the world »
It is in these terms that many amateurs describe the Syrah of Costières de Nîmes.
The main grape of the PDO Costières de Nîmes, Syrah develops in Espeyran all its potential and brings to our red wines not only a beautiful purple dress but also aromas of spices, vanilla or cocoa.
The origins of this grape have long remained unclear. No one could agree to say where the Syrah comes from. Yet in 1998, the paternity DNA tests carried out allowed a surprising discovery. Syrah would be the natural cross between the white mondeuse (the mother) and the dureza (the father). The marriage was probably consumed in a vineyard where both parents were grown, most likely in Isere in the northern Rhone.