Château de Saint Cosme Les Deux Albion Rouge

Côtes du Rhône-Les Deux Albion bottle image

Wine Description

Château de Saint Cosme is the leading estate of Gigondas and produces the benchmark wines of the appellation. The property has been in the hands of the Barruol family since 1490. Louis Barruol took over from his father in 1992 making a dramatic shift to quality and converting to biodynamics in 2010.

The estate lies in the heart of Gigondas where 15 hectares of vineyard grow in the shade of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain. In addition to the estate-grown wines labeled “Château de Saint Cosme,” Louis Barruol buys grapes from contracted growers, labeling these “négociant” wines simply as “Saint Cosme.”

Château de Saint Cosme Côtes-du-Rhône Les Deux Albion is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Clairette from the three Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages communes of Plan de Dieu, Saint Maurice, and Cairanne. The whole clusters are co-fermented with indigenous yeasts and vinified in conical wooden vats and concrete tanks for 18 months.

Saint Cosme Stone Sign
Chapel de Saint Cosme
WInemaker Louis Barruol
Oak Barrels
Chai de Saint Cosme
Aerial View of Chapel de Saint Cosme
Winemaker Louis Barruol
Le Poste Vineyards and Dentelles de Montmirail
Father and Son, Henry and Louis Barruol
Gigondas Bottle
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Acclaim
“Handy depth of dark, stony minerals and ripe, dark berries with a wealth of plush tannins. Dark plums and rich, chocolate liqueur to close. Impressive.”
— James Suckling, Aug 2018
“A solid, slightly gutsy version that sports dark cherry, plum and cassis flavors inlaid liberally with violet, pepper and bramble notes. Reveals a flash of licorice root on the finish. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault.”
— Wine Spectator, Nov 2018
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Schist
Training method
Gobelet
Elevation:
495 feet
Vines/acre:
1800
Exposure:
Eastern
Year vineyard planted:
1980
Harvest time:
Early October
First vintage of this wine:
1999
Bottles produced of this wine:
55,000
Certifying Organizations:
Ecocert
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
50% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 5% Clairette
Fermentation container:
Cement vats
Maceration technique:
Pumpovers and Pigeages
Fining agent:
None
Type of aging container:
Cement vats and wooden tanks
Length of aging before bottling:
18 months
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.9
Acidity:
3.1 g/L
Alcohol:
14.5 %
Residual sugar:
2.8 g/L