Château de Saint Cosme : Gigondas 2022

Expressive notes of pomegranate and raspberry show pretty lavender perfume alongside wafts of apple wood smoke and black pepper. Fine yet substantial tannins hold a firm grip, with graphite power building. Concentrated and firmly structured on a sleek, powerful frame. Tightly wound, this will be even better with a few years in the cellar. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault. Best from 2026 through 2037. 930 cases imported.

Dense and complex, this wine opens with dark cherry, olive, licorice, clove, violet, and a firm mineral edge. On the palate, vibrant acidity refreshes, as fresh olive notes evolve into a structured minerality, revealing soft plum, sage, bay leaf, and stone that lingers through the finish. Built for the long haul, it is approachable now with a proper decant.

Menthol notes and complex herbal essences. Soft, easy-going, the oak helps to bring some welcome polish and sheen, with well-balanced acidity. This is a successfully constructed wine in a tricky vintage, showing good winemaking. All whole bunch, fermented with natural yeasts. Aged 20% in new casks, 50% in casks used for one to four wines, 30% concrete tanks.

Expressive spice-box, raspberry, blood orange, red cherry, violets and cedar frame the aromatic profile of the alluring 2022 Gigondas. Full-bodied and concentrated, yet fresh and perfumed, the 2022 concludes with a zesty grapefruit slice on the long finale.

Leading off the 2022s from bottle, the 2022 Gigondas has tons of chalky minerality as well as peppery, spicy garrigue-driven aromatics, medium to full-bodied richness, a layered, balanced mouthfeel, and classic Provençal red and black fruits. I’d be thrilled to drink a bottle today, and it’s going to see its 20th birthday in fine form.