2004 Chateau Saint Cosme Saint-Joseph

Chateau de Saint Cosme is just north of the village of Gigondas. It is on the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman villa. The 37-acre property has been owned by Barruol family for 14 generations and is today run by Louis Barruol. In 1997 Barruol also started a negociant business and in 2007 the estate built a new cellar. Chateau de Saint Cosme produces both southern and northern Rhone wines, including Gigondas, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes-du-Rhone, Cote-Rotie, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Condrieu. It also produces the budget-priced label Little James. The estate’s signature wines earn high ratings from critics. Wine Advocate rated the 2010 Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas Hominis Fides at 96-100 pts and called it “a candidate for perfection…this deep, striking, exhilarating wine is one of the greatest Gigondas I have ever tasted.”

The Northern Rhône Valley wine region hugs the Rhône River from Vienne in the north to Valence at its southern tip. The French call the region Côtes du Rhône Septentrionales, and it is divided into eight appellations. Along with its neighbor to the south, the Southern Rhone Valley, it is famous for its big, tannic, intensely concentrated wines. Syrah is the only red grape permitted in AOC wines from this sub-region, though the Syrah can be blended with the white wine grapes Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne, depending on the regulations for each AOC. White wines are made from Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. Of the eight appellations in the north, the most admired wines tend to come from Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu and Hermitage, though there are certainly exceptional wines to be found in St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, St.-Peray, Crozes-Hermitage and Cornas. Along with Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, Rhône wines are among France’s best known and most collected wines. Red wines from these appellations are notable for their signature aromas of bacon and green olives, and for their depth. Robert M. Parker, a great champion of Rhone wines, has written that “the northern Rhône produces three of the greatest wines in the world – the white wines of Condrieu and the red wines of Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage.”

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.