Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the most fervent supporters of the Clairette and the new appellation of Gigondas Blanc, Louis Barruol, from Château de Saint Cosme, crafted an intense, complex and lively inaugural 2023 Hominis Fides Blanc, revealing aromas of white fruits, herbs, pear, spices and chalk. Medium to full-bodied, delicately juicy and round, framed by bright acids and a chalky spine, it's perfectly balanced, with a fresh, ethereal and mouthwatering finish. Crafted from Clairette planted in 2016 in the lieu-dit Hominis Fides on sandy, chalky soils, it was vinified and matured for 10 months on the lees. Kudos.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 -
Jeb Dunnuck
All Clairette from vines planted in 2017, the 2023 Gigondas Hominis Fides Blanc reveals a light gold hue as well as vibrant aromatics of crushed citrus, honeyed mint, and chalky minerality. It's nicely balanced, has a focused, elegant mouthfeel, and a good finish. It doesn't have the breadth or same level of precision as the Le Poste, but it’s still a beautiful white. The 2023 is 100% Clairette that had malolactic fermentation blocked and was raised all in older barrels.
Full-bodied and flavorful, white Rhône blends originate from France’s Rhône Valley. Today these blends are also becoming popular in other regions. Typically some combination of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier form the basis of a white Rhône blend with varying degrees of flexibility depending on the exact appellation. Somm Secret—In the Northern Rhône, blends of Marsanne and Roussanne are common but the south retains more variety. Marsanne, Roussanne as well as Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picpoul and Ugni Blanc are typical.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.