The Marginale is the full-bodied, complex cuvée from Domaine Terre des Chardons. Where the Bien Luné offers immediate indulgence, the Marginale asserts its uniqueness—an atypical aromatic profile, a more pronounced structure, and aging potential. A wine that deserves time and attention.
Blend and Terroir
The Marginale 2023 is a blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache, vinified separately. Both grape varieties come from the estate’s gress plots—these local siliceous pebbles which, through the albedo effect, store the day’s heat and release it at night, allowing for slow, steady, and complete ripening of the berries even on cool nights. This is a rare terroir within the Costières, which explains the aromatic uniqueness of this cuvée.
The winemaking process is meticulous: short vatting (15 days) for the Grenache, long vatting (25 to 30 days) for the Syrah—to extract the full potential of this grape variety on this mineral terroir. Aged in stainless steel tanks. The entire vineyard has been managed using Demeter-certified biodynamic methods since 2002—hand-harvested, native yeasts, no inputs.
Tasting Notes
Color: light garnet red, atypical and luminous for a Syrah from the South—the first distinctive sign.
Nose: complex and surprising. Fresh-cut grass, fresh leather, juniper berries, licorice, ripe black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant), and a subtle smoky note—the estate’s signature. A nose more reminiscent of a Syrah from the northern Rhône Valley than the heavy wines of the South.
Palate: remarkably refined. Silky, elegant tannins; a full-bodied, indulgent palate; and a perfect balance between the power of Syrah and the roundness of Grenache. A long, lingering, fresh finish.
Style: "An original and charming Costières" — 1 star in the Guide Hachette des Vins for the 2019 vintage.
Serving and Pairings
Serve between 16 and 18°C. La Marginale 2023 can be opened now and decanted for an hour, but it will reach its full potential by 2030.
Food and wine pairings: grilled or roasted red meats, prune tagine, cassoulet, Camargue lamb, and Costières cheeses. Enjoyable in all seasons—slightly chilled in summer with grilled meats, brought to room temperature in winter with slow-cooked dishes.
Domaine Terre des Chardons
Since 1999, Jérôme Chardon has been running this unique mixed-farming estate in Bellegarde—vines, olive trees, and vegetable gardens—which has been entirely Demeter biodynamic since 2002. Influenced by the mistral wind and grown on the rounded pebbles and gress of Bellegarde, his Syrahs develop an elegance and freshness more commonly associated with the great appellations of the northern Rhône Valley than with the Languedoc.
Discover the estate’s other wines: Le Bien Luné 2024, which is more supple and approachable, and our complete selection of organic wines from the Costières de Nîmes.
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