Château de Saint Cosme

Louis Barruol is one of the more outspoken winemakers in the Southern Rhône. And having achieved so much to date in his career, he’s a man worth listening to. He’s been president of the Gigondas appellation, during which time he helped to establish a genetically diverse Grenache nursery and to get white Gigondas accepted by the INAO. He’s also put his family estate, Château de Saint Cosme, on the map as one of the leading estates in the Southern Rhône.

He took over from his father in 1992, but the estate itself dates back to 1490, and it’s built on Roman ruins, including old fermentation tanks, just outside the village of Gigondas. He also owns Château de Rouanne in Vinsobres, numerous other parcels around the Vaucluse, not to mention a négociant business. But it’s his three single-vineyard Gigondas cuvées that he’s best known for, all introduced in the mid-2000s: Le Poste, Le Claux and Hominis Fides. All are made from pure (or nearly pure) organically farmed old-vine Grenache, fermented with natural yeasts in concrete, then aged in barriques of various ages (all recent, some new). And all are fascinating, ageworthy expressions of this magical place.