There’s a lot to unwrap in today’s stunning red, so let’s start with the highlights: (1) “Les Deux Albion” is a hedonistic value for the ages; (2) it is crafted by a globally recognized icon; and (3) it ranks among my favorite blind-tasting experiences this year. For $25, you’re getting a blockbuster red of infinite opulence and finesse that’s practically unrivaled in the Rhône Valley.
Why? Château de Saint Cosme has been a family-owned estate for well over 400 years and the property traces wine activity back nearly two millennia. Accordingly, the wines of Saint-Cosme have become international symbols of pedigree, tradition, and insane value-for-dollar, as confirmed by hordes of connoisseurs and critics. This is where my blind tasting comes into play: When this was recently poured for me, I unintentionally saw Saint-Cosme’s distinctive fringe on the front label; however, I didn’t know
which Saint Cosme it was. Upon tasting, I was sure it had to be their award-winning, widely celebrated Gigondas or Châteauneuf-du-Pape, both of which cost multiples more. Well, I’ve never been happier to be wrong. A $25 wine that delivers such high levels of pleasure (and fools me into thinking it’s from a world-class appellation) deserves a spot on our Value of the Year roster. Don’t miss this! I guarantee you will be blown away.
“Les Deux Albion” is a Syrah and Grenache-dominant powerhouse that delivers everything I want from the southern Rhône: superb freshness, savor, and a depth of flavor that evokes memories of heavy-hitting, high-price appellations. As I’ve said before: Take “Les Deux Albion,” throw it in a decanter, and you’ve got a near-replica of great Châteauneuf for a fraction of the price.
Located in Gigondas, Château de Saint Cosme claims the title of “most ancient estate of the region.” The estate’s beginnings are traced to 1416, but we can go back even further—almost 300 additional years—to when the Saint Cosme chapel was being built. Add another millennium, which places us around the year 109 (!) and that’s where you’ll find Roman soldiers building a villa and carving 25 wine vats out of the rocky earth—some of which can still be found in the perfectly preserved cellars of Saint Cosme! Today, Louis Barruol is the caretaker of the estate and he represents the fifteenth generation of winemakers in his family. The legacy is tremendous and unmatched by most others around the world; the same also goes for their winemaking.
“Les Deux Albion” is sourced from estate-owned vineyards in three elite Côtes du Rhône villages that surround Gigondas to the west/northwest: Cairanne, Plan de Dieu, and Saint Maurice. Saint Cosme’s fully biodynamic vineyards (they’ve been practicing organic farming for nearly 50 years) are largely planted on hillsides with nearly 40-year-old vines dug into clay, schist, and limestone marl. After harvesting by hand, the grapes were co-fermented in concrete vats and rested on their skins for a whopping six weeks, although the tannins are seamlessly lush and integrated. The final blend consists of 50% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% Clairette—a white grape used in amazing Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc. The wine rested in a combination of wooden vats and concrete tanks for 18 months before being bottled unfiltered.
In the glass, the 2017 “Les Deux Albion” flaunts an enticingly deep purple-crimson core with vivid ruby reflections on the rim. The moment the wine splashes into the glass, intoxicating aromatics explode out: raspberry liqueur, bushels of ripe plums, black cherry, red currant, wild strawberries, cracked pepper, crème de violette, rose petal, violet, garrigue, scorched earth, smoked meats. While a recurring theme for this wine is always its brilliant freshness, I was floored by the level of polish in this ‘17. It’s a full-bodied beauty that reveals seamless, addictingly ripe layers that coat your palate without saturating it. This is a gorgeous southern Rhône red that rivals the big, high-dollar names surrounding it—and all you have to do it serve it around 60 degrees in a polished Bordeaux stem. Enjoy over the next several years to experience it at its freshest. Cheers!
