Mas des Bressades

A customer and staff favourite every year, Cyril Marès's Tradition Blanc has an enticing, fragrant nose of pear and apple blossom followed by a round, vibrant palate of white peach and almond.

The Tradition Blanc is a supple, substantial dry white that, from the 2020 vintage, bears ECOCERT organic certification as the estate looks for ways to make its operation as much a part of the natural environment as possible.

A real taste of southern sun, it's lovely as an aperitif, and has the body to make a terrific partner for a chicken or monkfish curry.

‘This has always been one of my favourite estates for inexpensive, well-made, supple red and white wine. The nose is lightly floral, the palate elegantly textured with peaches and melons, the finish satisfying. Good medium-bodied wine with a touch of warmth.’
John Wilson, Irish Times, September 2012

The Costières de Nîmes, the Rhône’s southernmost appellation, was previously called the Costières du Gard before a name change in 1989. Until 2004 it was considered part of the Languedoc, but today it is included in the Rhône region, and Mas des Bressades' top-tier whites are produced from typical varieties of the region including Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier.

Robert Parker has said of the estate’s winemaker, ‘Young Cyril Marès crafts some well-concentrated bargains both red and white and an ambitious, flamboyant, but modestly-priced Cabernet-Syrah blend.’

Costières de Nîmes was settled by veterans of Julius Caesar's campaigns in Egypt, and some modern wine bottles from the appellation bear the unlikely symbol of that time's Roman settlement—a crocodile chained to a palm tree.

Cyril Marès' mighty Syrah ‘Excellence’ from the Mediterranean end of the southern Rhône has everything you could ask for in a robust, concentrated dining wine.

Like the other wines from this remarkable estate, it's a regular medal winner and the 2016 vintage scooped not only gold at the 2018 Nîmes concours, but also the judges' special prize: in effect, a double gold.

A deeply coloured, densely powerful glassful that explodes with black fruit and spiciness, this is one to open well in advance, and decant if you can, to give full expression to the layers of flavour wound up inside it. With subtle tannins and wonderful structure, it's an experience that should not be missed when there is a rich red meat or game dish to accompany it.

‘…rich, chocolatey, spicy, with a touch of Agen prune. Fab’
Tom Doorley, Irish Mail on Sunday, May 2020

‘This darkly coloured, pure-Syrah cuvée has a rich, fruitcake-like scent and vivid, luscious ‘pull-out-all-the-stops’ flavour. It wasn’t the subtlest wine in the tasting, but for anyone who enjoys a new world style from an old world location, this luxury mouthful is worth a look. The beefy finish sees off the oak.’
88/100 Andrew Jefford, Decanter.com, April 2018

Cyril Marès's father first grew Cabernet Sauvignon in the Haut-Médoc with his own father, then decided to try it out in the Costières de Nîmes a generation ago.

The Bordeaux grape makes a powerful, complex blend with the south's native Syrah, resulting in a wine that isn't eligible (because of the Cabernet component) for AOC status, but that demonstrates just how rewarding some of the experimental vins de pays from grower estates can be.

There are sweet black berries on the nose, and concentrated, generous ripeness. On the mid-palate there are suggestions of cedar and cigar box around a core of complex dark fruit, and there's a long plum & chocolate finish.

This substantial red offers exceptional value in a wine that is very different from the AOC and that makes for interesting comparisons with serious expressions of the same blend from Australia and South Africa.

Vibrant pink colour, with a strikingly complex constitution and rich aromas of red fruits. Sumptuous flavours of strawberry liqueur, framboise, and flowers. Dry, balanced, and long—a rosé wine for the enthusiast as well as a simple pleasure for the rest of us.

"This is a rosé where the natural texture and exuberant aromatics are compelling"
Robert Parker

Enjoy as an aperitif, with grilled prawns or salmon, or turn a sandwich into a banquet.

Mas de Bressades uses the saignée method to produce its rosé: pink wine can be produced as a by-product of red wine fermentation; when a winemaker wants to give a red wine more tannin and colour, a portion of the pink juice is drawn off from the must at an early stage and the remaining red wine is concentrated as a result of this 'bleeding'. The pink juice removed can be fermented separately to make high-quality rosé.

This is a barrel-fermented blend of Roussanne, Viognier and white Grenache, with exquisite aromas of peach, marzipan and vanilla. It's full-bodied, unctuous and intensely concentrated, with ripe, indulgent, complex flavours to match those rich, inviting aromas.

Very broadly speaking, the style is reminiscent of a well-padded white Burgundy, maybe even a Meursault—but at a far friendlier price.

For the maximum pleasure in its intense flavours and extraordinary length, pair this memorable white wine with something special: lobster, monkfish or creamy chicken dishes.

Supple and ripe with juicy flavours of plum jam, liquorice, Mediterranean herbs and cocoa. Medium-to-full body, with moderate acidity and light tannins.

Mas des Bressades was one of our first acquisitions, and Cyril Marès's wines have not failed to delight us in each successive vintage.

The Costières de Nîmes, the Rhône’s southernmost appellation, was previously called Costières du Gard before a name change in 1989. Until 2004 it was considered part of the Languedoc, but today it is included in the Rhône.

The Costières de Nîmes was settled by veterans of Julius Caesar's campaigns in Egypt, and today's bottles from the appellation bear the unlikely symbol of the Roman settlement: a crocodile chained to a palm tree.

Supple and ripe with juicy flavours of plum jam, liquorice, Mediterranean herbs and cocoa. Medium-to-full body, with moderate acidity and light tannins. A delicious, unoaked, dining or party wine that makes a perfect match for steaks, burgers and barbecues, but has so much fruit character that it's very easy to enjoy just on its own.

The Costières de Nîmes is the Rhone’s southernmost appellation, and was previously known as the Costières du Gard before a name change in 1989. Until 2004 it was considered part of the Languedoc, but today it is included in the Rhône region, which makes sense considering the predominance of Grenache and Syrah in its red wines and the galet-strewn Châteauneuf-du-Pape-like soils on which they grow.

Robert Parker has said of the estate’s winemaker, "Young Cyril Marès crafts some well-concentrated bargains both red and white and an ambitious, flamboyant, but modestly-priced Cabernet-Syrah blend."

Costières de Nîmes was settled by veterans of Julius Caesar's campaigns in Egypt, and today's bottles of wines from the appellation bear the unlikely symbol of that time's Roman settlement - a crocodile chained to a palm tree.

“Dark red with purple highlights...steeped red fruits and spicy nose. Good volume, generous matter (full of fruits) and silky tannins in the mouth. Excellent aromatic persistence, really succulent, enjoy now!” In Vino Veritas