Little James Basket Press Blanc

Little James Basket Press Blanc 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.”

Saint Cosme Little James’ Basket Press Blanc is an unconventional blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc are traditionally grown in different regions but Louis Barruol believes them to be complementary. The wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks.

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
"Crafted from equal parts Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, this is overtly friendly with fresh mango and passion fruit alongside beeswax and honey-brushed nectarines that linger through the springtime-flower-lifted finish. Also from Château de Saint-Cosme is the Domaine de Saint-Cosme "Les Deux Albion" 2019 from the Principauté d'Orange in the Vaucluse. This is more akin to the great, classic whites of the Rhône Valley with its dense, almost waxy or lactic aromas of mashed almonds and white licorice preceding a palate of energy and weight in equal measure, with cooked honey, fennel bulb, ripe apricots, white peaches, Asian pears, and a dusting of baking spices."
— Food & Wine, Mar 2022
“I always enjoy this charming white. The 2020 Pays D'Oc Little James Basket Press has plenty of peach and tangerine fruit in a medium-bodied, soft, undeniably delicious package ideal for near-term drinking. It’s based on Sauvignon and Viognier, brought up in tank.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, Jan 2022
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Limestone
Training method
Guyot
Elevation:
825 feet
Vines/acre:
2000
Yield/acre:
0.2 tons
Exposure:
Southwestern
Harvest time:
Beginning of September
First vintage of this wine:
2001
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
50% Viognier, 50% Sauvignon Blanc
Fermentation container:
Stainless steel tanks
Fining agent:
Vegan
Type of aging container:
Stainless steel tanks
Length of aging before bottling:
6 months
Total SO2
89
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.54
Acidity:
78.92 g/L
Alcohol:
12.79 %
Dry extract:
19.6 g/L
Total SO2
89
Residual sugar:
0.5 g/L