"Wine advocate 94-96 Points
Barruol's 2020 Cote Rotie blends fruit from both ends of the appellation to create an exciting blend of violets
and blueberries on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied, but richly concentrated and silky, with a lingering,
elegant finish. Terrific stuff. 20th January 2022 Joe Czerwinski
Jeb Dunnuck 94-96 points
I loved the 2020 Côte Rôtie, which is certainly the standout from the North. Coming from both the southern
and northern ends of the appellation, it’s full-bodied, ripe, and textured, yet never loses a sense of Côte
Rôtie elegance. Lots of bacon fat, exotic flowers (I wrote liquid violet in my notes), and gamey blue fruits
define the nose, and the balance is spot on, it has silky tannins and is just another brilliant wine. Tasting
date: 1/25/2022"
Steeped in history, Château de Saint Cosme is nestled in the southern Rhône appellation of Gigondas and has been in the Barruol family for over 500 years. In 1992, fourteenth generation winemaker, Louis Barroul took over the reins of the estate from his father. Today, he is one of the most highly respected winemakers in the Rhône Valley and is often referred to by fellow winemakers of the region as the ‘Genius of Gigondas’. With great determination and flair, he showcases the great potential of the Gigondas terroir with his outstanding parcellaire cuvées from individual old-vine vineyard plots. The estate has great geological diversity, as it is exceptionally located at the crosspoint of two geological faults, which is very rare. Over the years, Louis has also established his own ‘negoce’ wines, developing close working relationships with growers throughout the Rhône Valley. Overseeing the vineyard management, harvest and vinification enables him to explore and master different terroirs, from which he consistently produces outstanding examples of each appellation.
The vines were planted in 2014 in the limestone terroir of Saint Martin, notably with massale selection vines from Condrieu and Hermitage. The area of Saint Martin had previously been abandoned because the active limestone levels in the soils, which are the highest in the region and even higher than Gigondas, made it very difficult to grow vines. The estate-produced compost was added to the soils restoring the balance, returning them back to life and making them suitable once again for viticulture. In white wines this high limestone content imbues wines with sought-after characteristics such as energy, crystallinity, elegance, lightness and evanescence. The vineyards are certified organic.
