2010 Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Poste

There are approximately 120 cases of the 2010 Gigondas Le Poste, a nearly perfect effort. Its inky/blue/purple color is followed by aromas of flowers, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, graphite and camphor. It offers an aromatic smorgasbord of wonderful scents, and hits the palate with a full-bodied, thunderous mouthfeel revealing lots of texture, a multidimensional build and a 45 +-second finish. This is an amazing tour de force in winemaking from Louis Barruol. Louis Barruol has been at the top of his game since the late 1990s, and over the last few vintages, he has been making some of the finest wines in the southern Rhone as well as France. The glories here are Barruol’s single vineyard/special cuvees of Gigondas, but consumers should not overlook the terrific value offered by his Cotes du Rhones. The wines are sold under two monikers, Chateau Saint-Cosme and simply Saint-Cosme (his negociant line-up). Barroul produces a small quantity of Chateauneuf du Pape that is usually about 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Cinsault and 10% Syrah. Importer: Country Vintners, Ashland, VA; tel. (804) 752-3670

Coming from a tiny lieu-dit located just above the village of Gigondas, the 2010 Château de Saint-Cosme Gigondas Le Poste is mind blowing stuff. Like the other cuvees, it is 100% Grenache, fermented with whole clusters, that is aged in 30% new oak, 40% in one-year-old barrels, and 30% in two-year-old barrels. The most exotic and perfumed of the singe vineyards, it offers complex aromas of violets, crushed flowers, mineral, roasted meats, and assorted spices that are all supported by a core of pure blackberry styled fruit. Full-bodied and thrilling rich and powerful, yet also elegant and with an overall finesse-driven feel, this incredible Gigondas will be one for the ages. Given the balance and purity of fruit, it is probably the most drinkable of the three at present, yet really deserves 5-8 years of bottle age. It too has two to three decades or more of life.

Glass-staining ruby. Kaleidoscopic aromas of raspberry, lavender, star anise and incense, with hints of white pepper and allspice cmerging with air. Offers an array of red and dark berry compote flavors given spine by juicy acidity and deepened by suggestions of mocha and licorice. The floral and spice notes repeat on the finish, which refuses to let go of the palate.