# Michel & Tina Gassier Côtes du Rhône Rouge (NV)

- **Producer:** Michel & Tina Gassier
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre
- **Region:** Rhône, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €14
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 15–17 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, violet, herbaceous, black pepper, liquorice

## About this wine

Crafted by multi-generational Southern Rhône winegrowers Michel and Tina Gassier, along with their daughter Isabel, this Côtes du Rhône Rouge showcases a contemporary approach to classic winemaking. Sourced from vineyards spanning both banks of the Rhône River, the cuvée balances fruit grown on pebble-strewn clay soils on the Right Bank with limestone-rich white clay from the Left Bank. The Gassiers are pioneers in eco-conscious farming, being among the first producers in France to achieve AGW Certified Regenerative status.

## Interesting facts

- Michel & Tina Gassier were among the first French estates to achieve AGW Certified Regenerative status.
- Aged entirely for 12 months in concrete vats rather than oak to showcase unadorned fruit purity.
- Sourced from both banks of the Rhône, combining rolled pebble heat with limestone minerality.

## Food pairing

The wine's rich Grenache fruit, lively medium+ acidity, and fine-grained tannins mesh seamlessly with savory roasted meats, tomato-based sauces, and Mediterranean herbs without overwhelming the palate.

## Wine making process

The grapes are harvested and fully de-stemmed without crushing. Fermentation takes place spontaneously with native yeasts under cool, temperature-controlled conditions in concrete vats. Maceration extends over roughly five weeks with gentle manual punch-downs to extract supple tannins. To preserve pristine fruit identity and terroir expression without oak influence, the wine is aged for 12 months entirely in concrete tanks without sulfur added during fermentation.