Saint Cosme Côte Rôtie

Côte Rôtie 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.”

Côte-Rôtie is produced from 100% Sérine, an ancient and local variety of Syrah that is markedly different from modern selections. It is more oval, with lots of space in the bunch, resulting in a very aromatic wine. It is sourced from the schist soils of Le Plomb, Besset, La Viallière, and Neve climats. These hillsides are among the steepest in France with an incline as much as 55 degrees. The wine is made with whole cluster fermentation from indigenous yeasts, aged for 12 months in 30% new 228-liter barrels, and bottled without fining or filtration.

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
“Powerful aromatics enchant the nose with red cherries, cassis, red licorice, potpourri, black olives and firm stone. The palate is dense with additional layers of plum, rhubarb and violets intertwine beautifully. It is lush and complex, yet finessed with its brisk acidic lift. Gorgeous.”– (Cellar Selection)
— Wine Enthusiast, Nov 2023
“If you’re looking for the dark side of Côte-Rôtie, this isn’t it. Instead, it’s lean and lithe, capturing the Rhône’s most northerly appellation in all its stony cool. Louis Barruol makes it from sérine, an old selection of syrah that he finds to be especially aromatic, which he gathers from a range of parcels and then allows to spontaneously ferment as whole bunches. Its floral notes come through clearly, lending lift and complexity to the woodsy berry fruit; herbal notes work with the tart cherry fruit to accent the wine’s cool savor. Vivacious and fresh, it’s a mouthwatering wine that should age well in the cellar for many years to come.”
— Wine & Spirits, Mar 2022
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Le Plomb, Besset, La Viallière, Neve
Soil composition
Schist
Elevation:
660 feet
First vintage of this wine:
1997
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Syrah
Fermentation container:
Cement vats
Maceration technique:
Pigeages
Fining agent:
None
Type of aging container:
Barrels
Size of aging container:
228 Liter
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
12 months
Age of Aging Container:
30% new, 70% one-year-old
Total SO2
83
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.9
Acidity:
67.5 g/L
Alcohol:
14.6 %
Dry extract:
28.7 g/L
Total SO2
83
Residual sugar:
0.32 g/L