Château de Saint Cosme
Lying just to the north of Gigondas village, Chateau de Saint Cosme is undoubtedly one of the most historic producers in all of the Southern Rhône. The property has been under Barruol family ownership for over 500 years during which time they have developed a reputation for making some of the finest expressions of Gigondas in existence.
"Feisty, talented, and passionate" (JD) Louis Barruol is the 14th generation in charge of winemaking at the estate and he has gained a legendary status himself for making his top-drawer Gigondas from some of the appellation’s oldest vines. Renowned critic Jeb Dunnuck has even admitted that his visits to Saint Cosme are "always one of my favorite tastings in the Rhône" because they are nearly always some of the "best wines in France".
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Rhone | 1 | 94 (WA) | $603.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (94)Possibly my favorite of the single vineyards (I waffled between this and the Le Poste) is the 2013 Gigondas Hominis Fides. Coming from a vineyard located just down the hill from the estate - in mostly sand and limestone-laced soils - it’s almost 100% Grenache (there’s a small splash of Syrah), and like the classic cuvée, wasn’t destemmed and spent 12 months in older, smaller barrels. Currants, blackberries, licorice and big minerality all emerge from this beautifully pure, full-bodied effort that has a big mid-palate and a serious kick of tannin that emerges on the mid-palate and finish. Give it a year or two and drink it through 2028. It’s unquestionably one of the top wines in the vintage. |
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Rhone | 2 | 97 (JD) | $695.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97)One of the wines of the vintage, 2018 Gigondas Hominis Fides comes from a single parcel of old vines planted in more limestone/sandy soils not far from the estate (it’s just across the street from the Le Claux lieu-dit). This dense purple/ruby hued beauty boasts a sensational bouquet of ripe black raspberries, mulled cherries, black licorice, loamy soil, and a kiss of camphor, as well as plenty of peppery herb-like nuances. With full-bodied richness, it hits the palate with a seamless, elegant texture, no hard edges, building tannins and one seriously good finish. It’s not a powerhouse like the 2007 or 2016, yet has incredible finesse as well as purity of fruit and length. It benefits from a quick decant and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face any time over the coming 15+ years. |
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Rhone | 1 | 95-97 (VN) | $595.00 | |||||
Vinous (95-97)Deep, vivid ruby-red. Intensely perfumed, mineral-tinged scents of medicinal cherry, redcurrant and cassis are complemented by suggestions of star anise, white pepper and pungent flowers. It offers densely packed bitter cherry, red berry liqueur, lavender and licorice flavors that open up very slowly with air. Extremely primary but highly promising, with a long, spice- and mineral-tinged finish shaped by youthfully firming tannins. Made with 100% whole clusters; raised in barriques, one-third of them new. |
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Rhone | 1 | 99 (JD) | $143.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (99)I loved the 2015 Gigondas Le Claux from barrel (really loved it), and this beauty doesn’t disappoint from bottle. Checking in as 100% Grenache (100% whole clusters and aged in 20% new barrels) from a site located just across the street from the Hominis Fides vineyard, it offers a heavenly bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, camphor, graphite, and licorice. Sensationally concentrated, rich and opulent, with low acidity, gorgeous purity, and a blockbuster finish, it stays light on its feet and graceful. It’s the greatest vintage of this cuvée to date, and you should buy as much as you can. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97 (WE) | $565.00 | |||||
Wine Enthusiast (97)Massively ripe and densely concentrated, this sun-drenched wine boasts flavors of black plum and wild raspberry that are unctuous and roasted. The powerful, delicately spicy and smoky Grenache maintains the finesse and precision you expect from Saint Cosme. Fine, supple tannins and ample fruit make the wine welcoming young but it will improve through 2035. |
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Rhone | 2 | 98 (VN) | $505.00 | |||||
Vinous (98)Opaque red. Sharply defined red fruit, floral and Moroccan spice aromas, along with intense mineral, garrigue and cola nuances. Shows superb depth as well as vivacity on the palate, offering juicy red and blue fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors and an exotic hint of blood orange. Finishes impressively long and precise with firm tension, discreet tannins and reverberating red fruit and floral notes. |
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Rhone | 2 | 95-97 (VN) | $528.00 | |||||
Vinous (95-97)Brilliant violet color. Displays pungent, mineral- and spice-accented cherry, black raspberry, potpourri and licorice aromas, along with hints of savory herbs, vanilla and incense. Chewy and tightly focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry, dark berry and Moroccan spice flavors that unfurl slowly through the back half. It closes with firm tension, chewy tannins and excellent tenacity, leaving resonating cherry and floral notes behind. All barriques, a third of them new. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97 (JD) | $802.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (97)Another sensational wine, the 2018 Gigondas Le Poste comes from a hillside parcel just up from the domaine, just to the east of the village of Gigondas. Deep ruby/purple-hued with killer notes of blackcurrants, ground pepper, violets, tobacco leaf, and obvious minerality, it’s full-bodied, has a fleshy, layered, opulent texture, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It shows the more approachable style of the vintage yet still brings incredible richness and depth. It will blow you away any time over the coming 10-15 years. |
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Rhone | 1 | 92-95 (VN) | $410.00 | |||||
Vinous (92-95)Inky violet. Strong licorice and espresso notes accent spiced cherry and cassis on the nose. Muscular flavors of dark fruits, espresso and tobacco are framed by solid tannins that dominate the wine's finish today. There's outstanding material here and I'm looking forward to seeing it after it has had some cellar time. |
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Rhone | 1 | 96 (JD) | $1,005.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (96)There are 500 cases of the 2015 Gigondas Valbelle and it’s another winner from this estate based on the normal 90/10 split of Grenache and Syrah. Fermented without destemming and aged in 20% new barrels, this beauty boasts a huge nose of smoked meats, pepper, camphor and layered black raspberry and cassis-like fruit. Full-bodied, opulent and powerful, with a big mid-palate and building tannin, it too will benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for two decades. All of these 2015s from Barruol are up near the top of the vintage and well worth the extra effort to track down. |
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