Mas des Bressades is considered by many as one of the top estates in Costières de Nîmes, located 35 miles southwest of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, on the western side of the Rhône. Cyril Marès has been the winemaker since 1996. He previously worked for Chalone in California and Bruno Prats in Chile. His wife, Natalie Blanc, owns the adjacent estate, Mas Carlot.

For the last 11 vintages, I have bought their Roussanne/Viognier. This wine would be on my short list of white wines by the glass if I owned a restaurant and was looking to develop a wine list that offered quality and value. They make two red cuvées. The Cuvée Excellence is a Syrah-dominated blend, and Cuvée Tradition, is an unoaked southern blend of Syrah and Grenache. Not to mention their Rosé, which is excellent.

This wine is a blend of  55% Viognier and 45% Roussanne which is aged completely in barrel; 80% new oak and 20% 1 year old. The wine only stays in barrel for 5 months in order to introduce some complexity and structure, but isn’t over-oaked in my opionion. Soft aromatics with some tropical fruit. Pear, apple, apricot and some exotic fruits with a touch of citrus and underlying minerality on the palate. Good richness with nice weight and some creaminess, but perhaps just a tad light on the  acidity. The 2007 doesn’t disappoint — a very good wine and a very good value. Recommended.

Their wines are imported by Robert Kacher. He founded Robert Kacher Selections more than 20 years ago. Robert Parker named him “one of the 20 most influential wine personalities of the past 20 years” and in 2004 Bobby became Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, one of only a handful of U.S. importers to ever receive the honor. Some have been a bit critical of Kacher for his very hands on approach with the winemakers he represents. But he is more often praised for the quality and value of the wines he represents.

I bought this wine at MacArthur Beverages in Washington, DC. It was on sale for $13.99 a bottle. As I have stated before, I love their selection, but I have never been asked if I need any help or been given the proper wine buyer treatment. In my opinion, a critical part of what makes a great wine buying experience is the interaction with the merchant — and their ability to find that perfect match between your palate and a lonely bottle of wine, sitting on the shelf just waiting for you and only you. The sharing of their secret finds, whether it be a great value or a hard to find treasure. It’s all part of the ritual that creates a relationship between you, the merchant and the store. Even if you know what you are looking for, chances are the store is filled with wines that are strangers to you. Someone needs to make the appropriate introductions and make customer and wine both feel special. The right combination of store, wine and merchant can make the store a magical place — but too often one of those elements is overlooked. So I continue to frequent the store based on the selection, but usually leave disappointed with less bottles than if I had been properly tended to — so maybe that isn’t such a bad thing afterall. On a side note, Robert Kacher will be making an appearance at MacArthur on Saturday, December 13th, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.