2017 Saint Cosme, Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge, Rhone Valley, France.
Louis Barruol’s famed Gigondas estate, Chateau de Saint Cosme is the most ancient estate in the region, located on the site of an old Gallo-Roman villa, which very probably already had vines of its own. The estate’s existence in 1416 has been clearly attested by a document mentioning the granting decree by Jean de Chalon, Prince of Orange, with the Barruol family ancestors taking it over in 1570 and making it one of the great wine producers in the Rhone, with Louis Barruol himself taking it to the top tier of the wine world. Making primarily cru Gigondas, Barruol also makes a wide range of region wines, both north and south and has shown a wonderful touch with Syrah, doing fabulous Cote-Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage and Saint-Joseph as well as this 100% Syrah Cotes-du-Rhone.
Saint Cosme’s Cotes-duRhone, grown on a mix of soils, including red clay, pebbles and limestone sands all hillside vines is partial whole cluster and all tank raised. Always a wine of value and purity it gives a ton of character, personality and never disappoints in any vintage, and this one is an exceptional year. In 2017, low yields produced wines with lots of intensity and depth with hedonistic density, but with vibrant fresh detail, with what Barruol notes, adds crunchiness and salinity to this beautiful red wine.
This 2017, which is an amazing follow up to the great 2015 and 2016 versions that I loved, delivers boysenberry, sweet blueberry and plum fruit as well as savory spices, a touch of meat, black licorice and a inner perfume of violets and lavender. Rounded tannins give structure, making this wine perform at a higher level than one would expect and this vintage in particular will age well, maybe a decade or more, impressive for the price!
($15 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive