Château de Saint Cosme - Gigondas Le Claux 2020 (750ml)
Price: $175.99
| Producer | Château de Saint Cosme |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhône Valley |
| Varietal | Grenache |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 65338 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Château de Saint Cosme 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. 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 wine is made with whole cluster fermentation from indigenous yeasts, is aged in 20% new 228-liter barrels, and bottled without fining or filtration.
Vinous: 98 Points
Opaque red. Sharply defined red fruit, floral and Moroccan spice aromas, along with intense mineral, garrigue and cola nuances. Shows superb depth as well as vivacity on the palate, offering juicy red and blue fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors and an exotic hint of blood orange Finishes impressively long and precise with firm tension, discreet tannins and reverberating red fruit and floral notes.
Wine Enthusiast: 97 Points
Le Claux is sourced from a Grenache-dominant field blend, with vines dating back to 1870. Vinified in whole clusters and matured in 20% new oak, it’s a penetrating, finessed wine that juxtaposes rippling black cherry and boysenberry flavors against veins of crushed salt, licorice and smoke. Chalky tannins and a spray of violet perfume a long finish. It’s stunning in youth but should improve through 2035.
Wine Spectator: 95 Points
Earthy, savory and inviting, with smoked meat, bay leaf and singed wild herbs infusing a base of plum sauce and cherry. Gains support from fine-grained tannins, but a spine of iron gives real form to this layered wine, with black olive tapenade, balsamic and black pepper notes filling out the lengthy finish. Drink now through 2035.
