Little James Basket Press Rouge

Little James Basket Press Rouge bottle image

Wine Description

Château de Saint Cosme is the leading estate of Gigondas and produces the benchmark wines of the appellation. The property has been in the hands of the Barruol family since 1490. Louis Barruol took over from his father in 1992 making a dramatic shift to quality and converting to biodynamics in 2010.

The estate lies in the heart of Gigondas where 15 hectares of vineyard grow in the shade of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountain. In addition to the estate-grown wines labeled “Château de Saint Cosme,” Louis Barruol buys grapes from contracted growers, labeling these “négociant” wines simply as “Saint Cosme.”

Saint Cosme Little James’ Basket Press Rouge carries the Vin de France designation due to its unique production method. The wine is made from blending Grenache from multiple vintages in concrete tanks starting with the 1999 vintage. With the 2021 bottling, Louis Barruol is introducing 40% Pinot Noir for the first time, with Grenache making up the remainder of the blend. The result is a wine that is both vibrant and complex.

Saint Cosme Stone Sign
Chapel de Saint Cosme
WInemaker Louis Barruol
Oak Barrels
Chai de Saint Cosme
Aerial View of Chapel de Saint Cosme
Winemaker Louis Barruol
Le Poste Vineyards and Dentelles de Montmirail
Father and Son, Henry and Louis Barruol
Gigondas Bottle
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Acclaim
“Tart plum, vanilla and sweet baking spice shape the nose on this wine. The palate opens with blackberry and plum, but firm tannins take charge with pepper and cigar-wrapper tones. Acid is balanced but mouth[1]drying tannins rule the finish, loaded with spicy charred serrano pepper.”
— Wine Enthusiast, Nov 2021
“Moving to the reds, the NV Vin De France Little James Basket Press is mostly Grenache and is a juicy, strawberry-filled, peppery wine with medium-bodied richness. It’s a great bistro wine to drink over the coming couple of years.”
— Jeb Dunnuck, Feb 2022
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
Limestony marl and schist
Training method
Gobelet
Elevation:
660 feet
Vines/acre:
1320
Yield/acre:
0.2 tons
Exposure:
Eastern
First vintage of this wine:
1999
Bottles produced of this wine:
110,000
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
30
Varietal composition:
60% Grenache, 40% Pinot Noir
Fermentation container:
Cement vats
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
10 days
Malolactic fermentation:
Yes
Type of aging container:
Cement vats
Size of aging container:
150 HL
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Analytical Data
No relevant data were found.