Chateau de Saint Cosme was awarded "The Best European Producer of the Year" by Sommelier Wine Awards in 2012. The wine Les Deux Albions was featured in The Drops of God (Kami no Shizuku), the very popular Japanese manga series about wine.
In the heart of the appellation Gigondas, the Chateau de Saint Cosme is an exceptional estate. Saint Cosme strives to be and remain a small producer, supported by the idea of becoming a negociant which would work with the spirit of a vigneron using ancient methods.
Château de Rouanne is a historic estate with a 12th century medieval castle, situated on a classified Roman site located in the southern Rhône Valley. The name of the estate comes from "Rugius", which is said to be the name of the original Roman owner. The estate totals 177 acres (72 hectares), including 153 acres (62 hectares) of vines. Château de Rouanne was purchased by Louis Barruol, owner and winemaker of Château de Saint Cosme, in May of 2019. Barruol sees enormous potential in Château de Rouanne, having worked with the previous owners for years as a source for some of his négociant wines. “It reminds me a lot of Saint Cosme when I took it over in 1992. It’s an unknown sleeping beauty waiting for a vigneron to truly love it.”
The vineyard of Château de Rouanne is a unique one-block monopole, planted entirely with 50+ year old vines, which are a selection massale of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The ancient terroir is comprised of limestone and sandy marl soils dating back to the Pliocene epoch.
Barruol uses whole bunches during fermentation, as the stems absorb alcohol and help retain acidity and tannin. Indigenous yeasts are used to impart the character and the purity of the terroir into the wine. The wine is aged for 16 months in concrete vats and is bottled unfined and unfiltered in order to deliver a “straight to the ground” interpretation of this unique vineyard.
" Château de Rouanne Vinsobres is a 50/45/5 blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, co-fermented with whole bunches, as is Barruol’s typical preference.It’s exuberant, with a range of violet, alder, bay and sage aromas backed by a fleshy core of dark plum and black cherry fruit. It’s got a grippy edge and leans to the dark side of the spectrum, with a warm earth accent, but the herb and floral details give it detail and cut. Fans of Barruol’s wines, and fans of gutsy Rhône wines in general, will want some bottles of this rock-solid value."- 91 points, Wine Spectator.
Grape: :Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre
Food Pairing:The distinctive freshness and saltiness of this Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre blend makes it easy to pair with both rustic and sophisticated dishes. The smooth, red-fruit character of the wines make it a great choice for tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille, while the richness from the Syrah also allow it to pair with lamb, venison or beef.
