Chateau de Saint Cosme 2018 Gigondas

 Robert Parker 92-94 Points: "Blended on the spot from several different barrels, the 2018 Gigondas looks very promising. Asphalt, black cherries and tapenade feature on the nose, while the palate is almost painfully intense, with ample weight, great richness and a long, velvety finish.

When I stopped in to visit in mid-June, proprietor Louis Barruol had a lot to smile about. Efforts to add white Gigondas to the appellation seem to be moving ahead, his Finger Lakes project (Forge Cellars) is ticking along and the last four vintages in the Southern Rhône have been good for quality, even if quantities aren't always what they could be. His activities in the Northern Rhône are going well too (more about those in the Northern Rhône report). "I'm really happy with '18," he said. "I've become not a great believer in crazy low crops—it's not that natural." In 2018, his average yields were a reasonable 32 hectoliters per hectare. "It's not going to be as good as '16, but it's very good."

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