St Cosme holds a sacral place in the greater canon of Southern Rhone wines; in Gigondas it holds firmly its place in the top few of the very best. Not an unambitious wine by any measure, but it is not trying to be Chateauneuf, and it doesn't need to be - grunty and fine in equal measure: Gigondas in spades. Gigondas growers roll their eyes at Chateauneuf comparisons I know, but what the hell here I go: try getting a Chateauneuf anything like as yum as this at the price - an easy metric and an easy win.


Situated in the heart of Gigondas is one of the region's oldest estates, Chateau St. Cosme. The property has been in the same family, for some 500 years. In 1992 Louis Barroul took control of the winemaking from his father and made that 'giant leap' to bottle and market his own wine. Previously his father had sold his wine to the local co-operative. However since taking over, Louis has truly launched Chateau St Cosme into the stratosphere of the wine world. The house is now the flagship for Gigondas around the globe and has greatly contributed to its reputation as one of the top crus in the Southern Rhone, second only to Chateauneuf. If there is one person determined to single-handedly prove the great potential of the terroir of Gigondas, it is Louis, with his simply outstanding ‘Parcellaire’ cuvees, from individual vineyard plots. These are truly phenomenal, world-class wines.

Wine spectator 95/100
"Dark and winey, this structured offering packs red and black currant paste flavors together with threads of
charcoal, warm stone, bay leaf and savory, ending with a long tug of cast iron through the finish. A blue
chip for cellaring."

Jeb Dunnuck 93-95/100
I thought the 2019 Gigondas was gorgeous, with a rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated style as well
as classic Saint Cosme ground pepper, mineral, cured meats, and assorted red and black fruits. It’s a
powerful, concentrated base cuvée with the mid-palate and structure to evolve for 15-20 year