Saint Cosme Saint-Joseph

St. Joseph 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 Saint-Joseph 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 climat Malleval in the northern part of the appellation near Condrieu. The wine is made from 70% destemmed with 30% whole clusters, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and aged in 20% new 228-liter barrels.

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
“This has a very strong, savory edge and there’s wet stone, coal smoke and oyster shell, as well as iodine. The black fruit is subdued by the granite here. The palate has a very compressed feel, vibrantly grippy in this young mode and very fresh, too.”
— James Suckling, Oct 2019
“Dark plum and blackberry preserve flavors glide along, infused with hints of cast iron, bay leaf and tobacco as they move through the structured, focused finish. A touch old-school, this will do well with some cellaring.”
— Wine Spectator, Dec 2019
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Vineyard & Production Info
Vineyard name
Malleval
Soil composition
Granite and Sand
Training method
Gobelet
Elevation:
726 feet
Vines/acre:
3200
Yield/acre:
0.5 tons
Exposure:
Eastern
Harvest time:
End of September
First vintage of this wine:
2002
Bottles produced of this wine:
12,000
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Winemaking & Aging
Varietal composition:
100% Syrah
Fining agent:
None
Type of aging container:
Barrels
Size of aging container:
228 Liters
Length of aging before bottling:
12 months
Age of Aging Container:
20% new
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.8
Acidity:
3.5 g/L
Alcohol:
13.5 %
Residual sugar:
1.5 g/L