The limestone rich soils help to give the Domaine de Saint Cosme, Les Deux Albion, Vaucluse Principauté d'Orange white blend a crystalline minerality and refined elegance. The wine is rather captivating with notes of dried apricot, lime blossom, and mango. The fresh acidity and slight salinity make it a natural companion to roasted poultry, herb-dressed chicken, creamy cheeses, and seafood and it will also work well with aromatically spicy cuisine. Serve cool but not ice-cold, to fully appreciate the complexity.

About the Producer

Steeped in history, Château de Saint Cosme is nestled in the southern Rhône appellation of Gigondas and has been in the Barruol family for over 500 years. In 1992, fourteenth generation winemaker, Louis Barroul took over the reins of the estate from his father. Today, he is one of the most highly respected winemakers in the Rhône Valley and is often referred to by fellow winemakers of the region as the ‘Genius of Gigondas’. With great determination and flair, he showcases the great potential of the Gigondas terroir with his outstanding parcellaire cuvées from individual old-vine vineyard plots. The estate has great geological diversity, as it is exceptionally located at the crosspoint of two geological faults, which is very rare. Over the years, Louis has also established his own ‘negoce’ wines, developing close working relationships with growers throughout the Rhône Valley. Overseeing the vineyard management, harvest and vinification enables him to explore and master different terroirs, from which he consistently produces outstanding examples of each appellation.

Vineyard and Winery

The vines were planted in 2014 in the limestone terroir of Saint Martin, notably with massale selection vines from Condrieu and Hermitage. The area of Saint Martin had previously been abandoned because the active limestone levels in the soils, which are the highest in the region and even higher than Gigondas, made it very difficult to grow vines. The estate produced compost was added to the soils restoring the balance, returning them back to life and making them suitable once again for viticulture. In white wines this high limestone content imbues wines with sought-after characteristics such as energy, crystallinity, elegance, lightness and evanescence. The vineyards are certified organic.

Fermentation took place with wild, indigenous yeasts: 30% in demi-muids, 30% in small barrels and 40% in vats. The wine was then matured in the same combination of demi-muids, barrels and vats, with each size imparting subtle layers of complexity to the wine.