S P R I N G
2 0 2 1
SAINT COSME
OFFERING
WINEMAKER NOTES
2020
Louis Barruol Owner + Winemaker “It is always a challenge to follow on from a vintage as magnificent as 2019. Obviously, 2020 wines have less structure and depth than the 2019s. After two years of dry weather, the vines probably suffered more in 2020 than in 2019, but there is no denying the quality in the stellar vineyard sites and the secret is to try and reserve judgment and let time do its work. 2020 is typically the kind of wine that will make great strides during the maturation process.
2019
“In the northern Rhone, the vintage was late-ripening and so produced inconsistencies. The greatest success is (once again) unquestionably Côte Rôtie which has yielded one super vintage after another since 2014. Never in the history of Côte Rôtie has there been such a sequence of vintages.” “A great vintage always conceals an element of mystery. Why didn’t the extraordinary fruit in 2005 produce a great vintage? And why, against all expectations, did the high-yielding 1990 produce such great wines? Explanations proffered with hindsight, which can be revisionist and convoluted, are sometimes quite laughable, because the basic tenet of our profession is a sense of foresight. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t explain things, I look and learn. You never know, it may come in handy the next time around… “As you will have realized, 2019 is in the same vein as the top mysterious vintages. I still can’t understand how the vines didn’t show any symptoms of water stress despite such a dry summer. I don’t understand why the wines are so fresh and “ethereal.” I don’t understand either how the yields could be so decent.
2018
“In the southern Rhône Valley, 2019 is on a par with 2016, 2010, 1998 and 1990. You only have to taste the wines to dispel any doubts about their quality, if there were any to start with. Density vies with finesse, and depth in no way obscures their “nimble” characters. You will be amazed by the standard of the wines.” “I don’t dislike vintages that present certain challenges. Strangely enough, they are sometimes the ones that best express the soil. Spring 2018 created extremely difficult conditions in the southern Rhône. Never before had we experienced so many issues with mildew. When it rains every three days and the temperature peaks at 82°F, everything becomes very difficult. It was incredible to witness the excellent performance of organic vines compared to those treated with countless chemicals. “The care we gave our vines in 2018 allowed us to harvest a very good crop in a vintage where many estates produced minute quantities. The wines are very good and have that litheness that nature imparts in times of relative abundance. In general, and I include in this comment the whites and reds of the southern and northern Rhône, maturation of the 2018s will be very interesting because the wines lean more towards minerality than towards fruit. This is often what happens when ripening does not occur too quickly.”
C H Â T E A U
D E
SAINT COSME
L
ocated in the heart of the Gigondas appellation, Saint Cosme is a unique historic estate, featuring ancient Gallo-Roman vats carved into the limestone below the château. The property has been in the hands of Louis Barruol’s family since 1490 and has been home to fifteen generations of wine growers. It boasts 25 hectares of old vines with an average age of 60 years. The soils of Saint Cosme are a geological mosaic thanks to the proximity to the Dentelles de Montmirail. These limestone ridges are located at the point where two geological faults meet, and the microclimate is cool and causes late ripening. Balance, freshness and finesse characterize the wines of Saint Cosme.
2
The Saint Cosme chapel, located in the heart of the vineyards, is a jewel of Romanesque art. Built in the 11th and 12th centuries, it mirrors the purity of Romanesque art with its simple lines and balanced spaces. Its majesty exudes an atmosphere of peace. Henri and Claude Barruol took over in 1957 and gradually moved Saint Cosme away from the bulk wine business. Henri was one of the first in the region to work organically beginning in the 1970s. Louis Barruol took over from his father in 1992, making a dramatic shift to quality and incorporating biodynamic practices in 2010.
SAINT COSME OFFERING | SPRING 2021
ESTATE WINES Les Deux Albion Blanc 2019 The vineyards for the Les Deux Albion Blanc are in Saint Martin (IGP Principauté d’Orange), a mere stone’s throw away from Gigondas. The site had been abandoned for 20 years before Louis Barruol identified the limestone-rich area as an ideal location for producing white grapes. In 2013, Barruol cleared the site and replanted it with massale sélections of Viognier, Picpoul, Clairette, Bourboulenc, and a rare grape called Saint Côme which Barruol claims to have the last existing parcel. The grapes are hand-harvested, then co-fermented in a combination of 600 liter demi-muids and used 228 liter pièce before aging on the lees. The resulting wine is a compelling, terroir-driven white wine which displays elegant finesse. CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO
Les Deux Albion Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge 2019 Les Deux Albion Rouge comes from estate-owned vineyards in three communes: Plan de Dieu, Saint-Maurice, and Cairanne. Rich in ancient alluvial clay, limestone marl and pebbles, these vineyard plots speak to the classic attributes of what you find in the bottle—balance, complexity, and richness. Les Deux Albion Rouge is made from Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Clairette. Hand-harvested whole bunches are co-fermented with indigenous yeasts followed by refinement in a combination of conical wooden vats and concrete tanks for 18 months. Les Deux Albion Rouge is bottled without fining or filtration.
Gigondas 2019 Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas Classique is a cuvee made from the individual parcels of the estate vineyards and represents the flagship wine of the estate. The shade and elevation at Saint Cosme provide a cooler micro-climate than the rest of Gigondas. Whole clusters are fermented with indigenous yeasts and vinified in a combination of new and used barrels, and concrete tanks. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.
Gigondas “Le Poste” 2019 Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Poste is from a 1-hectare terraced vineyard that sits near the chapel of Saint Cosme, a short uphill climb from the winery. The maximum elevation is 280 meters, 140 meters above the Gigondas valley floor, and is one of the coolest vineyards in Gigondas. The terraces and elevation make it necessary to plow the vineyard by horse. Le Poste’s cool microclimate and limestone soil make it one of Saint Cosme’s most structured, aromatic, and mineral intense wines of the estate. This wine always walks a knife’s edge of power and finesse thanks to its deep fruit and precise structure. Only six barrels are produced each year.
Gigondas “Le Claux” 2019 Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux is the estate’s oldest vineyard and sits near the entrance to the winery. “It was first planted in 1870 following phylloxera. My uncles thought it wasn’t producing enough fruit and planned to uproot it in 1914,” says Louis Barruol, but “World War I interrupted that plan.” The 1.8-hectare Le Claux—meaning “Clos” in old French—is a field blend of predominately Grenache. Louis Barruol believes 10% of the vineyard is from the original 1870 planting. Vines are replaced by massal selection and the average vine age is 60-years. The soil at Le Claux is a yellowish limestone marl and produces the most “Burgundian” wine at Saint Cosme.
WINEBOW IMPORTS 3
ESTATE WINES (continued) Gigondas “Hominis Fides” 2019 Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas Hominis Fides is where some of the oldest vines of the estate are found with an average vine age of 90-years. The vineyard is located across the road from Le Claux with Miocene-era sand mixed with clay and stones. Hominis Fides is typically the most elegant of Château de Saint Cosme’s three single-vineyard Gigondas. “Grenache grown in the sandy soil produces marvelously textured wines as well as extremely refined tannins; a very special and stylish wine,” says Louis Barruol. Only 10 barrels are produced each year.
Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc “Le Poste” 2019 Clairette is an old variety that likely originated in southern France often used to produce simple and crisp dry white wines or as a component in a blend such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc. White wines from Clairette have a tradition at Saint Cosme, specifically at Le Poste, where Louis Barroul’s grandfather produced famously long-lived Le Poste Blanc. Limestone soils give Le Poste Blanc a flavor of gunflint and the ability to age for twenty years or more. Only 2 barrels are produced each year.
Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc “Hominis Fides” 2019 2019 marks the inaugural vintage of this Hominis Fides white. The Clairette vines that produced this wine come from a replanting in 2016 and represent an ongoing exploration of the château’s distinct terroirs. While this vineyard shares some of the limestone characteristic of Le Poste, the uniquely sandy soils produce a markedly different wine. Finesse and energy are tempered by an elegant balance thanks to the cool micro-climate. Only 1 barrel produced.
4
SAINT COSME OFFERING | SPRING 2021
NORTHERN RHÔNE WINES Croze-Hermitage 2019 Saint Cosme Crozes-Hermitage 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 hillside vineyards of Erôme, Gervans, and Larnage in the northern part of the appellation. Granite slopes rather than flatlands give Saint Cosme’s Crozes-Hermitage greater structure and complexity. It is made from 100% destemmed grapes, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in 20% new 228-liter barrels, and bottled without fining or filtration.
Saint-Joseph 2019 Saint Cosme Saint-Joseph 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. Louis Barruol describes the microclimate of the vineyard Malleval as “very cold” which allows the grapes to retain acidity and showcase the floral aromas of the local Sérine variety. Aromas and flavors of blackberries and wild strawberries are accented by notes of peppercorns, tobacco, peonies, and violets.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 Saint Cosme Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from three climats, the most famous of which is the plateau of La Crau with its distinctive galets over clay, bringing power and structure to the blend. The climats of Valori and Christia are on sandy soils, giving the wine its perfume and freshness. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is famously the strongest, most powerful, and longestlived wine of the southern Rhône. Louis Barruol’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape from contracted growers is a classic expression of the region. The wine is a blend of Grenache Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsaut, made with whole cluster fermentation from indigenous yeasts, is aged for 24 months in old 228-liter barrels, and bottled without fining or filtration.
Côte-Rôtie 2019 The Saint Comse Côte-Rôtie 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 from the local Sérine variety with whole cluster fermentation from indigenous yeasts, aged for 12 months in 30% new 228-liter barrels, and bottled without fining or filtration. It features aromas and flavors of smoked ham, violet, graphite, graphite, and licorice.
Condrieu 2019 Saint Cosme Condrieu is produced from fully-ripened Viognier which Louis Barruol believes is essential to achieving the variety’s full potential. “But ripeness must not imply excessive alcohol,” says Barruol, “We seek balance.” The wine is matured for eight months in used 228-liter barrels and undergoes full malolactic fermentation on fine lees for 12 months. Saint Cosme Condrieu shows classic aromas and flavors of dried apricot, peach, and orange blossom with fennel, anise, and elderflower. Twelve months of aging on its fine lees in used Burgundian pièce brings texture to the palate. This is a classic Condrieu.
WINEBOW IMPORTS 5
REGIONAL WINES Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge 2020 Saint Cosme Côtes-du-Rhône is produced from 100% Syrah and is from the stony Villafranchian terraces of the Gard. The vineyards are known for their limestone sand, red clay, and pebbles, which give a freshness and intensity to the Syrah grapes. The wine is partially destemmed, fermented with natural yeasts, and vinified in concrete vats.
Little James’ Basket Press This collection of wines is named in honor of Louis Barruol’s son James. The label features an impish drawing of a young boy playing in the vineyards, inspired by the antics of the real James in his childhood. Today, the eponymous “Little James” is all grown up and is helping his father with the harvest and winemaking at Saint Cosme.
Rouge NV Saint Cosme Little James’ Basket Press Rouge carries the Vin de France designation due to its unique production method: made from blending wines from multiple vintages of Grenache in concrete tanks starting with the 1999 vintage. With the 2021 bottling, Louis is introducing 40% Pinot Noir for the first time, with Grenache making up the remainder of the blend. The result is a wine that is both vibrant and complex. This wine combines a broad array of varietal Grenache traits—softness, red fruit, and vibrancy with a dash of power, length, and structure—with the aromas and flavors of Pinot Noir—cherries, strawberry compote, gingerbread and violets.
Blanc 2020 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: Sauvignon Blanc brings acidity to the blend while Viognier provides fleshiness and attractive notes of stone fruit and flowers. The wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks which results in an aromatic and fresh-tasting wine with aromas and flavors of peach blossoms, fennel, apricots, grapefruit, lychee fruit, and mangos.
6
SAINT COSME OFFERING | SPRING 2021
C H Â T E A U
D E
ROUANNE Coming Soon: Fall Offering From Château De Rouanne “The joy of occasionally achieving beauty fosters the courage and determination that are essential to realizing projects of any magnitude.”
T
he village of Vinsobres obtained Cru status in 2006. Although not as well-known as its peers, its classification puts it on a par with Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côte Rôtie and Hermitage, which speaks volumes about the quality of its terroir. Located along the edge of the Alps, Vinsobres is the northernmost of the southern Crus boasting first-rate geology and a cool climate thanks to the prevailing “Pontias” wind current that flows down into the valley. In May 2019 Louis Barruol finalized the purchase of Château de Rouanne in Vinsobres; a magnificent historic estate surrounded by a 62-hectare monopole vineyard. As part of his négociant partnerships, Barruol had been buying wines from Château de Rouanne for 15 years and was very familiar with the amazing vineyard and its show-stopping qualities.
The location of Château de Rouanne is highly significant; its proximity to the foothills of the Alps (9km) creates a cool microclimate set within a temperate Mediterranean climate. The vineyard’s impressive hillside has South-East
aspect comparable to the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy. The soils contain red Pliocene clay with a significant proportion of sand and limestone to which Barruol attributes the distinctive aromas of violet, peony and gingerbread found in the estate wines. The vineyard was mainly planted between 1955 and 1975 and is comprised of massal selections of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The vineyard has already been converted to organic practices and is in the process of gaining certification.
“The endeavors of our predecessors, which to a certain extent forge the history of a place, are often instrumental in crafting the quality of the wines that can emerge from a great terroir.” Like its “sister estate” Saint Cosme, Château de Rouanne is located on an ancient Gallo-Roman site, featuring ancient fountains fed by underwater springs. Fragments of ancient tiles and pottery can be found littering the estate grounds and vineyard. The present-day château was restored in the 1830s after the original building was burned down during the French Revolution.
WINEBOW IMPORTS 7
www.winebow.com |
@Winebow
© Imported by Winebow, Inc. New York, NY