2015 Château de Saint Cosme Gigondas Cuvée Valbelle
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There are 500 cases of the 2015 Gigondas Valbelle and it’s another winner from this estate based on the normal 90/10 split of Grenache and Syrah. Fermented without destemming and aged in 20% new barrels, this beauty boasts a huge nose of smoked meats, pepper, camphor and layered black raspberry and cassis-like fruit. Full-bodied, opulent and powerful, with a big mid-palate and building tannin, it too will benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for two decades. All of these 2015s from Barruol are up near the top of the vintage and well worth the extra effort to track down. Louis Barruol’s Chateau de Saint Cosme is unquestionably one of the reference point estates in Gigondas, as well as the entire southern Rhône Valley. The estate lies just to the east of the village and covers 25 hectares, with 15 of those in Gigondas. He makes a classic Gigondas as well as four single vine releases from single vineyards located around the estate. The wines are not destemmed and aged mostly in older barrels, with a small portion in new barrels.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Gigondas Valbelle is 90% Grenache, blended from five parcels planted more than 80 years ago. Like all of the Saint Cosme Gigondas, it's classically built, with enough tannin to support a decade or more of aging. Plummy yet fresh, it's dark and velvety, with a sexy, silky finish.
90% Grenache, 10% Syrah. Whole-bunch pressed. Vinified in concrete tank using indigenous yeast. Matured in second-use oak barrels. Cask sample. Tasted blind. Dark crimson. Real grip and intensity on the nose of this intriguing wine. Some saltiness and very smooth fruit. A total charmer already. The tannins come out to play only at the very end. Quite alcoholic on the end though. (JR)