WineAlign

• By David Lawrason
  12/15/2018 (link)

  (Château De Saint Cosme Côtes Du Rhône, Côtes Du Rhône red) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Sara d'Amato
  11/20/2017 (link)

  (Château De Saint Cosme Côtes Du Rhône, Côtes Du Rhône red) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Michael Godel
  11/16/2017 (link)

  (Château De Saint Cosme Côtes Du Rhône, Côtes Du Rhône red) Subscribe to see review text.

• By John Szabo, MS
  11/16/2017 (link)

  (Château De Saint Cosme Côtes Du Rhône, Côtes Du Rhône red) Subscribe to see review text.

JamesSuckling.com

• By James Suckling
  7/2/2017 (link)

  (Saint Cosme Côtes-du-Rhône, Red, France) Subscribe to see review text.

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull Rhone Syrah Deal, 11/2/2017

  (Saint Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone) Phenol55 REMINDER: Full Pull has partnered with Phenol55 for *optional* storage services for our list members. P55 is a full-service wine cellar less than ten minutes from our warehouse, in the subterranean basement of the Malt House in the heart of Georgetown. See here for more details, and then contact Phenol55 if you’re interested in signing up. ----- Hello friends. Over the years, families build holiday traditions. Over the past six years, Full Pull has created one of our own: offering an excellent (albeit short-term) tariff on a reference-point Rhone Syrah. The Saint Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone has become one of our best-selling wines in Full Pull history—and it would not truly mark the transition into the holiday season without offering this wine at a price well below its usual $16 release.Quick logistics note before we move onto the wine itself: we only get one shot at this pricing, and it’s volume-based (one of those times when we all benefit from Full Pull’s growth over the last few years). We’ll try to build in a buffer for late orders and *some* reorders, but once we exceed that buffer, any reorders beyond that will be at a tariff closer to this wine’s normal $15-$16 range. Now, onto the wine. Though there are no official reviews out for the 2016 vintage, 2015’s stellar bottling garnered ‘91 points from Wine Spectator and landed itself spot #43 on Spectator’s Top 100 list. On top of that, this wine has received 90 points or higher seven out of the last 10 vintages, which gives us more than enough confidence to offer this wine year after year. We’ve spent the better half of the year singing the praises of Europe’s 2015 vintage, but in the Rhone Valley, specifically at Louis Barroul’s estate, 2016 is proving equally as exciting. Barroul writes, “After the magnificent 2015, here is the superb 2016. In the Côtes du Rhône appellation, I have never seen two vintages of such a high standard in succession. The 2016 may even prove to be better over time because yields were lower than in 2015.” This is the man to trust when it comes to Côtes-du-Rhone, which is why we are offering the wine now, before reviews come out and it gets gobbled up by the hungry Rhone-loving masses. Louis Barroul continues, “I will repeat as many times as it takes that the Côtes du Rhône are an extraordinary winemaking playground for those who like quality. The region combines old vines, magnificent terroirs, fairly low yields and an outstanding climate.” He is correct, Côtes-du-Rhone is an designation of potential—it often creates wines that far surpass expectations, and allows for consumers a taste of what the Rhone Valley can truly create. Saint Cosme’s CdR stands out, though. While most CdR’s are majority Grenache, this version of Côtes-du-Rhone is made entirely of Rhone Syrah. (Louis Barroul’s Grenache goes into the Little James Basket Press, another list favorite wine.) The Syrah comes from two of Cosme’s holdings—one in Vinsobres (a bit cooler, on limestone and sand) and one in Gard (warmer, on large terraces of medium-to-large rolling stones). The Saint Cosme Côtes-du-Rhone clocks in at 14% listed alcohol. Done entirely in concrete, the wine begins with a nose of plum and blueberry fruit, floral notes of crushed violet and dried lavender, spiced anise, and lots of savory minerals. On the palate, it presents the savory, spiced side of fruit with a medium body, electric acidity, and old-school-rustic tannins. It’s wickedly balanced, equal parts fruit forward and structured, providing a sense of ease for early drinking coupled with stamina to age. Another year down and Saint Cosme has created a CdR Syrah with depth and complexity. The overall sense of balance and class at this tag is unusual for sure, and the reason why we’ve offered every vintage of this since 2011.