From: Rhone, France
Varietal: Viognier
Chateau de Saint Cosme is the leading estate of Gigondas and produces the appellation’s benchmark wines. Wine has been produced on the site of Saint Cosme since Roman times, evident by the ancient Gallo-Roman vats carved into the limestone below the chateau. The property has been in the hands of Louis Barruol’s family since 1570. 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, adding a négociant arm to the business in 1997, and converting to biodynamics in 2010.
Tasting Notes: Hints of sweet spice and smoke seep into sunny apricot and honeysuckle in this lavishly rounded Viognier. It’s a classically fleshy, weighty wine with a delightfully clingy finish, but cutting mineral tones and crisp tangerine acidity lend lift and vitality, too. Excellent in youth but concentrated enough to mature well through 2040. -WE
Pairing: Savor this wine with lobster, pasta with truffles or blue cheese.
95 Points -Wine Enthusiast
93 Points -James Suckling
90 Points -Wine & Spirits
