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Raudonasis
Everything about the all-Grenache 2018 Gigondas le Claux is big. From the huge black cherry and blackberry fruit, to the insane levels of concentration, the rich, velvety tannins and the never-ending, licorice-tinged finish, this beauty should evolve positively for at least a decade and a half. Drink date: 2022 - 2035.
Dark plums and violets here alongside roses which give a deep, heady florality. On the palate it's very broad and expansive, with deeply integrated acidity and deeply ingrained oak. It’s very long and powerful with quite raised alcohol but manages to retain a sense of freshness.
The 2018 Gigondas Le Claux comes from a single vineyard located just down the road from the domaine, across the street from the Hominis Fides parcel. Notes of camphor, incense, spice box, and black raspberries all flow to a forward, medium to full-bodied, elegant effort that has soft, ripe tannins. It’s another wine that shows the style of the vintage beautifully. Drink it any time over the coming 15 to 20 years.
Château 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 château. The property has been in the hands of Louis Barruol’s family since 1490. 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. The estate is in the heart of Gigondas where 15 hectares of vineyard grow in the shade of the Dentelles de Montmirail. The limestone that distinguishes Gigondas from other southern Rhône appellations is visible on the jagged cliffs of the Dentelles. In addition to Gigondas and the old-vine selection Gigondas Valbelle, three single-vineyard Gigondas are produced: Hominis Fides, Le Claux, and Le Poste. Louis Barruol owns an additional 10 hectares of vineyard in Violès outside of Gigondas to produce Les Deux Albions Blanc IGP.
