Château de St.-Cosme Gigondas 2015

How good was the 2015 vintage at this flagship estate of Gigondas? This entry-level red earned a classic 95 points, offering brawny flavors and incredible energy, paired with complexity and elegance. Owner and winemaker Louis Barruol, a passionate champion of his village, reports that 2015 was an ideal vintage, where the fruit was of high quality even from the estate’s younger vines. He produces this cuvée with 70 percent Grenache, 15 percent Mourvèdre, 14 percent Syrah and a smidge of Cinsault. He ferments whole clusters and then ages the wine in a mix of new and used oak casks and concrete vats.

Tasting Note

A textbook version of the brawny side of Gigondas, this offers a grippy alder bass line underneath layers of dark currant and fig fruit, while lots of tobacco, rosemary and bay leaf fill in throughout. Muscular and energetic, this is built for the cellar. Best from 2019 through 2030.—James Molesworth