Domaine de La Patience Rouge 2022

Domaine de la Patience is located in the village of Bezouce, close to Avignon in Southern France, near the historic Pont du Gard. The estate operates across two appellations: AOP Costières de Nîmes and IGP Coteaux du Pont du Gard, positioning it at the border of the Côtes du Rhône region. The estate takes its name from "La Patience," a wild, aromatic Mediterranean herb that grows throughout the vineyard.

Christophe Aguilar owns and operates the domaine, having taken over the family estate in 1998 after a decade managing winemaking at a local cooperative. He made a pivotal decision to convert to organic farming in 2007, explaining: "I realized I needed to stop poisoning myself with the chemical treatments we were using, as I felt worse and worse when working in the vineyards."

Christophe expanded the estate from the original 15 hectares to 100 hectares of organic-certified vineyards. The distinctive terroirs feature pebbles, sandstone, and loess soils on ancient sandstone terraces. Main varieties include Syrah, Grenache, Chardonnay, and Vermentino, with Chardonnay sourced from their own organic vineyards and Vermentino from sustainable HVE-certified growers.

Christophe follows a minimal intervention philosophy: "It's good to be a companion to what nature has given us." The wines are made with indigenous or neutral yeasts, use vegan-friendly fining, light filtration, and minimal sulfur. Grapes are direct-pressed and fermented in temperature-controlled concrete and stainless steel tanks. The winemaking takes place in a beautiful 1930s stone cellar.

Costières de Nîmes occupies a unique position in French winemaking, sitting at the southernmost edge of the Rhône Valley where it meets the Mediterranean Sea and the wetlands of the Camargue. Located in the Gard department near the ancient Roman city of Nîmes, this appellation produces wines with over 2,000 years of viticultural history—Greeks traded wines from these hillsides before the Romans arrived.

The terroir here differs from other Rhône appellations. Large rounded pebbles, called galets, were deposited by the Rhône and Durance rivers during prehistoric glacial melts. These stones, similar to those found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, sit atop red clay and sandy alluvial soils at depths ranging from 3 to 15 meters. The pebbles absorb daytime heat and release it slowly overnight, helping grapes achieve full ripeness.

What sets Costières de Nîmes apart is its cooling mechanism. The nearby Petite Camargue marshland and Mediterranean Sea create afternoon breezes that sweep across the flat delta and up onto the vineyard plateau. This maritime influence produces significant temperature swings between day and night, preserving natural acidity in the grapes and giving wines a freshness uncommon in southern France.

The appellation achieved AOC status in 1989 after being reclassified from the Languedoc to the Rhône Valley in 2004. Today it covers approximately 4,000 hectares across the area between Nîmes and Arles. Red and rosé wines dominate production, made primarily from Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, with Carignan and Cinsault permitted as supporting varieties. A small percentage of white wine comes from Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Roussanne.

Environmental stewardship has become central to the region's identity. Around 30% of vineyards now farm organically, supported by the Costières de Nîmes Environmental and Landscape Charter. This commitment to sustainability, combined with accessible pricing, positions the appellation as one of southern France's most compelling wine values.