N.V. Château de Saint-Cosme Gigondas Little James Basket Press - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas (10/10/2005) This is a non-vintage wine, but the guy in the store told that it's entirely from '03. 100% Grenache. Great label, too! Initially closed and tight, without much aroma or taste. A little splash decanting helped open it up after an hour. Bright, vibrant, dark red color. Rich, jammy nose of black cherries, cigar box, and watermelon. On the palate, big, sweet flavors of ripe cherries, pepper, vanilla, and spice. Very low acidity and not much wood. Tannins were present, but just enough to complement the fruit. Decent finish of 15+ seconds. I can't imagine this wine needing more time in the bottle. It's ready to go to complement a meal of burgers or ribs. Excellent QPR at $11/bottle. (92 pts.)
I just bought a bottle of this to try; the store clerk also told me that it is 2003 vintage, but St. Cosme isn't allowed to put the vintage on the bottle because it's a blend of Rhone and Rousillon Grenache. I guess if it's from 2 different regions, it's not recognized as a vintage wine under French appelation laws.
I hope it's as good as your note indicates. Thanks for posting.
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Cheers!
Posts: 6056 | Location: Vancouver, BC | Registered: Oct 17, 2001
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