Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Château de Nages – JT Blanc 2023
Costières de Nîmes AOC, Rhône Valley, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A Rhône white blend crafted in honor of Joseph Torres, the estate’s founder, who believed great wines begin with sourcing the finest vineyards. The blend for the 2023 vintage is 60% Roussanne, 25% Clairette, 12% Viognier, and 6% Grenache Blanc — a textbook southern Rhône composition balancing aromatic richness with Mediterranean freshness. Fun note: Costières de Nîmes is the southernmost Rhône appellation, influenced by both Rhône structure and Mediterranean breezes.

Aromas & Flavors
Lively and expressive, with ripe peach, apricot, and pear leading the way, framed by citrus zest, acacia, and delicate white flowers. Subtle notes of honeycomb and almond add a creamy undertone, while Viognier contributes its exotic lift.

Mouthfeel
Medium- to full-bodied, rounded yet fresh, the 2023 shows vibrant acidity from Clairette and Grenache Blanc, balanced by the richer texture of Roussanne. The finish is long, mineral-driven, and delicately nutty.

Winemaking Notes
Partial barrel aging on Roussanne adds texture and depth, while the rest remains fresh and fruit-driven. The philosophy is finesse over power, highlighting terroir transparency and balance.

Food Pairing
Brilliant with Mediterranean-inspired dishes like grilled seabass with herbs, roasted chicken, or ratatouille. Also pairs beautifully with lobster, scallops, or alpine cheeses such as Comté and Tomme.

Verdict
The 2023 JT Blanc once again proves why Château de Nages is a leader in Costières de Nîmes. Complex yet refreshing, it delivers Rhône character with Mediterranean charm — a wine to enjoy now or hold for a few years. Cheers! — 10 months ago

Aaron Tan

9.1

En magnum. After the painfully mineral 13' Vaillons from Raveneau, this just didn't find much love from the group. It wasn't lacking in anyway though. In fact, as JT puts it, this had grand cru concentration and length. The wine begs for air, which we promptly gave it, but it never really opened even after a day of exposure. Oddly, it went from muted (nose) to slightly oxidised across that period. Expected? In spite of this, there's much to love about the wine - Round and generous body with plenty of acidity. Citrus fruit, lanolin, spiced nuts, and chalky minerality. Undeniably length. — 7 years ago

Soon Suk Kim

8.9

유란이랑!!! 미방에서!!! — 8 years ago

Ken Z

9.2

Drank 1/1/18. Happy New Year!! Great pairing with a flank steak with green onion vinaigrette. Decanted 1 hour.

Very nice, classic bordeaux nose of cassis, plums, and a touch of graphite and worn oak. Medium palate of black fruits, with plum, cassis, tar, and just a touch of green pepper, that is not distracting, but pairs beautifully with the vinaigrette. Medium to long finish. Open now, but could also age for 10 years. @JT u need some of this in your life.

4/22/8/4/4 +50 = 92 pts — 8 years ago

Christine Yi (cy_eats)

9.0

2012. Initial nose a little funk & earth. After 1+ hour aerated/decanted, nose is more sour cherry. Medium tannins, on the lighter side. A little bit of that cherry. More earth and funk on the tongue. Lovely. JT loves it. — 9 years ago

Virginia Thomas

9.3

Schwa Wright/JT dinner — 9 years ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

After a line-up featuring the likes of Aramasa, Yamamoto, Tatenokawa, and Ohmine, the Dassai 23 Centrifuge came off a little boring. As JT puts it, “It’s what I’d expect saké to taste like.” Then chef Alex added the darnest comment, “Doesn’t it remind you of soju.” Hahahaha.

Rich, round and heavy, with an almost sterile quality to the finish, it definitely wasn’t up my alley but I got to commend how lovely the silky textures were. Solid though - Dassai is Dassai, like how Dom is Dom. Reliability at scale. — 4 years ago

Amanda B.

9.0

tastes VERY berry .. like a cup of blueberry juice. very little, if any, spiciness of the shiraz seems not there. it did become more agreeable at room temp, but really not the best from JT. — 6 years ago

Kim Crompton

9.1

Lake Geneva (Labor Day solo) - JT would like — 7 years ago

Ken Z

8.9

Drank 8/6/18.  Paired with pork and a dijon mustard cream sauce.  The lighter tannins would make this a nice pairing for a wide variety of foods. 

Medium nose of red cherry and some tar notes.  Palate of cherry and some plum, with bright acidity and medium tannins providing the framework. Some darker fruits and tar notes on the medium finish.  A nice everyday drinker.

3/22/7/4/3 + 50 = 89 pts.

Thanks @JT   — 8 years ago

Shawn Gleason

9.6

Love it! Earthy, smoky. Nice body. — 8 years ago

Kathy Westerhoff

9.0

Bought at JT liquor store - chris loved it, I drank it — 9 years ago

with Chris

Virginia Thomas

9.2

Schwa dinner with Wrights/JT — 9 years ago

Michael gayle

9.5

Drinks like $100. Over-Chill and decant for 1.5 hours. Worth the wait. — 5 years ago

Emily Hasty

10

Drink this one again — 5 years ago

with Karen

Scott Soren

9.6

It’s a baby. Yet, powerful and brooding. Blue and black fruits, with a little graphite. Incredible mouthfeel and longer finish. #thx i JT for the taste — 6 years ago

Carlos Pinzon

8.9

85% tempranillo y 15% mazuelo airea bien — 7 years ago

Ken Z

9.1

Drank 2/19/18. Paired with roasted chicken.

The nose of sweet stewed plums and red berries is quite expressive. Still present, but mild, well integrated tannins lend structure to cassis and earth flavors. Medium finish. This could go a few more years, but is in a sweet spot now. I dont think it will improve further, so drink now. Fully mature.

4/22/8/4/3 + 50 = 91 pts.

Thanks @JT for a great bottle. — 8 years ago

Nate Miles

9.6

09 JT on 🔥 — 9 years ago

Virginia Thomas

9.3

Schwa dinner w Wrights/JT — 9 years ago