2022 Gigondas

My meeting with Louis Barruol began with a tour of the vineyards surrounding the old chapel at Château de Saint Cosme, which is currently undergoing renovation. Barruol proudly showed me his Clairette vines, laden with golden, pristine grapes destined for his 2024 Gigondas Blanc. In the cellar, we turned our attention to the 2022 reds, which have mellowed beautifully after their élevage. The star of the vintage is the singular Hominis Fides, boasting stunning verticality and impeccable balance, with the detailed and focused Le Claux trailing close behind. By contrast, the 2023 reds are more openly seductive, featuring softer structures and a more immediate allure, with the exceptional Le Claux currently leading the pack. Over the past few years, Barruol has reduced the proportion of new oak across his reds, cutting it down to around 20% and even as low as 10%, depending on the cuvée and vintage conditions. Turning to the whites, it’s no surprise that both the concentrated, sapid 2023 Gigondas Blanc Hominis Fides and the crisp Blanc Le Poste are among the finest in the entire appellation. These two cuvées, made exclusively from Clairette, demonstrate that the variety can shine brightly on its own in Gigondas–when in the right hands.

This historic Gigondas-based winery has been family-owned since 1490. Despite this ancient background, Louis Barruol is one of the leading innovators within the appellation, which he has also officially presided over since 2017. Notably, his influence has been pivotal in the approval of pressing white AOC Gigondas starting from the 2023 vintage. Some of Château de Saint Cosme’s vines have weathered over a century, naturally low-yielding while intensifying concentration. An interesting facet of Barruol's winemaking approach lies in the fermentation of all Gigondas reds with whole clusters. This technique, he believes, imparts a heightened freshness, greater aromatic complexity and an intriguing edge to his wines. At this address, the embrace of whole bunch maceration and fermentation is not merely a choice; it's a philosophy. Barruol contends that wines crafted through this method exhibit a superior architectural structure compared to those born from destemmed fruit. Furthermore, he embraces the partial use of new oak in his reds. The 2022 Gigondas, positioned as his classic offering, matures for one year with approximately 20% new oak. The terroir-specific wines—Le Poste, Le Claux, and Hominis Fides—undergo the same new oak proportion. This intentional use of new oak by Barruol infuses his wines with a nuanced complexity and structural depth, compelling them to mature patiently in the cellar before finally coming together. During my visit, I shared with Barruol that, to date, the 2010 Le Poste holds a special place as my favorite Saint Cosme wine. In a delightful turn of events a few days later, during an informal dinner with other Gigondas winemakers, Barruol presented a blind wine, later revealing the surprise bottle as the 2010 Le Poste. Even at its 13-year mark, the wine exhibited a tantalizing promise, yet it seemed not fully realized. I suspected it demands another five years to unveil its true splendor. That being said, the exceptional 2010 vintage in the Southern Rhône has birthed numerous enduring wines, some of which are still evolving and haven't yet reached their peak. Offering general advice on Barruols single-terroir wines, regardless of the vintage, I recommend resisting uncorking before the age of ten. Barruol agrees and suggests that his single-terroir bottlings often begin to showcase their finest attributes around the age of 15. Consequently, he currently finds himself reaching for bottles from the 2006, 2007 and 2008 vintages. On a contrasting note, his classic Gigondas reds exhibit a more approachable demeanor, requiring less time to mature but nonetheless benefit from a few years in bottle. In the realm of Gigondas producers, Château de Saint Cosme stands out for delivering wines that embody unmatched power and force. Remarkably, amidst this intensity, they skilfully preserve a crucial element—freshness—to provide a balanced drinking experience. Currently, the US market claims the lion's share, absorbing approximately 40% of these wines, with France following at around 20%. The remaining 30% finds its way to various other European countries, while approximately 10% makes its journey to Asia.