Chillable Red Case Buy Alert
The color grabbed me first. It almost looked like a Nouveau. Bright rose red, transparent, the wine looked like it would be a fun date. Then, I found out the name roughly means ‘Rock Paper, Scissors’, and I said that this wine better be good too. Lo and behold, it was. Crunchy, red fruited, fun to drink and lightly chilled, this was my entree into Annd Collard. I haven’t gotten enough of her wines since.
Anne Collard and her husband François have spent decades building Château Mourgues du Grès into one of the most respected estates in the Costières de Nîmes. Anne had an opportunity to purchase her own vineyards in 2019 when she acquired 30 hectares in Comps, the southernmost village of the Côtes du Rhône appellation. Located just a few miles north of Mourgues du Grès, the site sits on a rugged, north-facing hillside on the Rhône River. The vineyards are planted primarily to Grenache, along with Mourvèdre and Carignan, on steep slopes littered with stones and constantly swept by wind.
The wines are vinified separately at Mourgues du Grès in a dedicated section of the cellar. Fermentations occur spontaneously with native yeasts. No sulfites are used during fermentation or aging. The wines mature in raw concrete tanks, remaining in the same vessel from harvest until bottling. The philosophy is simple: let the vineyard do the talking.
The 2024 Château Mourgues du Grès "Shi Fu Mi" may be the most charming introduction to this new chapter. A Vin de France made primarily from Anne's Grenache vineyards, it was deliberately positioned outside the appellation system to allow complete freedom in crafting the wine. Bright, juicy, and remarkably drinkable, it showcases the fresh, fruit-forward side of Southern Rhône Grenache while retaining the mineral backbone that comes from these rocky slopes.
The name itself reflects both the wine and the place. "Shi Fu Mi" is the Japanese precursor to the game we know as Rock, Paper, Scissors:
Rock – the stony soils that forge the identity of the wine.
Paper – Grenache in its purest and most expressive form.
Scissors – the vineyard work that shapes balance and character in every vintage.
Fortunately, unlike the game, there are no losers here.
What emerges in the glass is exactly the kind of red I find myself reaching for again and again: vibrant red berries, wild herbs, subtle spice, and an underlying freshness that keeps everything lively. It has the easygoing charm of a wine meant to be enjoyed without overthinking, yet the pedigree of a serious estate farming exceptional vineyards. As introductions go, this is a particularly successful one. Come and say hello.
