Château de St Cosme: History and vintages.

Let's talk about Château de St Cosmeanother area of châteauneuf-du-pape with a unique kind of story. Located in the heart of the appellation Gigondas and place of vinification Gallo-Roman is brimming with rock-cut fermentations in impeccable condition. They hark back to the experiences of our close Gallo-Roman ancestors. The family bought the estate in 1490 and has seen 15 generations of winegrowers. The 22 hectares of 60-year-old vines produce low yields. This terroir is a geological mosaic linked to the great upheaval of the Dentelles de Montmirail. It is rooted in a cold, late climate. In this article, I'll tell you all about the history of this château, as well as the details of its finest cuvées.

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History of Château de St Cosme :

The chapel of Saint Cosme, located in the heart of the vineyards, is a nugget of Romanesque art. It was built in the 11th and 12th centuries and brings out the simplicity of the lines, the sobriety and balance of the volumes. It brings a positive vibe to the vineyard and reflects a peaceful atmosphere. In 1972, Henri Barruol was convinced of the value of organic viticulture. According to him, this method allowed us to respect the balance of the vines, produce the best vines, and defend the ecosystem of the Vallon de Saint Cosme. He marketed his Gigondas in barrels, to traders. The children continue their father's work. No chemicals are used to preserve the vines.  In 1997, trading can be named " Wine merchant" , à noticed during his trip to the Rhône that the great terroirs weren't being nurtured to their full potential. These places made him want to be an old-fashioned négociant, which means getting into the business with a winemaker's attitude. For him, this job was about : Search of spirit in the terroirs and vineyards, working meticulously on small cuvées, working with winemakers who love their craft, transporting wines in barrels to avoid damaging them. Work at St Cosme is carried out by hand, and the wines are vinified to let the terroirs speak for themselves, giving them balance and personality. They need to be able to age.

The Château's great vintages:

 

• Cuvée Gigondas St Cosme :

 

This cuvée can be drunk between 2021 and 2030. The blend is made up of 70 % grenache, 15 % of mourvèdre14 % of syrah and 1 % of cinsault all in a combination of new and used oak, with 30 % of high-volume concrete. It's full-bodied, generous, round and supple without any roughness to hold back the flow of asphalt, red raspberries and black cherries on the palate. The concentration is ample, but not excessive. Gigondas that can be enjoyed over the next decade. Aged for 12 months in 20 % new barrels, 50 % in barrels of 1 to 4 wines. – 30 % in concrete tank. There is precision and variability in this cuvée, which is obvious since the terroir is a very specific one. pedigree high. This is a vintage of great finesse, still in great shape. The bottle without filtration.

• Cuvée Gigondas le poste St Cosme :

This cuvée combines considerable complexity with incredible intensity and a seductive touch of suppleness without sacrificing length or concentration. A touch of violet and aniseed aromas accentuate the plums and black cherries on the nose. The palate is full-bodied and velvety-textured, with a long, silky finish that folds into notes of salty licorice. It comes from old Grenache vines that have been planted and the harvest is whole. The old Poste bottles, with their tar-like aroma and airy texture, are similar to Barolo. It sometimes has a salty, silky version of Poste. In her youth, she expresses herself well, revealing an almost Burgundian character.

• Cuvée Gigondas le Claux St Cosme:

 

Produced from a single plot of old-vine Grenache, this cuvée is a blend of new barrels aged one to two years. It's full-bodied, rich and expansive, combining notes of black cherries, roses, black tea and asphalt with vanilla and hints of cigar box. Ripe, supple and velvety, this is a seductive example that can be kept for several years. Visit old grenaches are planted in a place called  "The Claux ". In 1870, the Claux is planted on the first phylloxera-resistant American rootstocks, but is due to be uprooted as the vines age. Today, the Claux is an old lady in good health, and new additions are made every year. It reveals its usual register of tar, soot and blackberry, automatically recalling the aromatic register of a good Barolo.

• Cuvée Gigondas Hominis Fides St Cosme :

This vintage was a huge success for the estate team. She abore complex notes of roses, dusty earth, cigar boxes, asphalt and black fruits. Plums and black cherries stretch across the full-bodied palate, sweeping in supple waves of flavor without ever becoming overpowering, supported by notes of cracked pepper and anise, then finishing in silky pools of lingering flavor. These are very old Grenaches planted on Miocene limestone sands in a place called " Hominis Fides "As early as the 1960s, Father had noticed the particularity of this locality. Some or the vintage, Hominis Fideswas one of the best lieux dits. In this cuvée, the tannins achieve finesse with such ease as to be disconcerting.

• Cuvée Gigondas les deux Albions :

It is composed of Grenache with portions of mourvèdre and syrah. The wine was aged in wooden and concrete vats. The nose is marked by black cherries and blueberries, picking up notes of garrigue and black olives along the way. Medium to full-bodied, rich and expansive, it becomes almost velvety on the finish. This cuvée is compact and a little tannic, the cherries and dried spices give a lot of flavour to this vintage which should be even better in the next 5-6 years. Aged in wooden vats (truncated cone) and concrete tanks. This cuvée commemorates the limitless potential of the southern Côtes du Rhône. It's always good to taste it in its old age. This cuvée expresses itself with intensity and depth on notes of red berries, blending with floral aromas of peony and violet.

We hope this article on the unique history of Château de St Cosme has been of interest to you, and please feel free to browse through our other articles to discover our other wineries.