Chateau de Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone Les Deux Albion 2015
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvedre and Clairette co-fermented.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Impressive pepper and spice aromas with blackberry and almost tarry accents. The palate has a deep-set black fruit and licorice core. Exceptional depth and a smoky, alluring finish. A star of CdR.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 50% to 60% Grenache and the balance Syrah, the 2015 Cotes du Rhone les Deux Albions is, in the words of proprietor Louis Barruol, "A great success." I'd have to agree. Scents of fresh blueberries are immediately appealing, while the plump, medium to full-bodied palate ends in a light flurry of tannins. Give it another year in the cellar and drink it over the next 7-8 years.
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Chateau 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 chateau. The property has been in the hands of Louis Barruol’s family since 1570. 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.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.