Winemaker Notes
Hominis Fides is typically the most elegant of Château de Saint Cosme’s three single-vineyard Gigondas. “Grenache grown in the sandy soil produces marvelously textured wines as well as extremely refined tannins; a very special and stylish wine,” says Louis Barruol. The wine features aromas and flavors of pepper, truffle, graphite, and smoke.
Grenache is the pale-colored, red-fruited, and potpourri-scented red grape variety of the southern Rhône and can be paired with both rustic and sophisticated dishes. Full-bodied Grenache-based wines are ideal with stews, braises, and grilled meats, while lighter versions can work well with dark fish and tomato-based dishes such as ratatouille.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2019 Gigondas Hominis Fides is cut from the same cloth and has power, purity, and elegance. Ground herbs, Provençal spice, black raspberries, blackberries, and assorted peppery notes give way to a full-bodied, concentrated Gigondas with a great mid-palate, perfect balance, and a great finish. It has some charm today, but smart money will hide bottles for a few years. Best after 2024.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Layers of creme de cassis and fig preserve are dusted with licorice, camphor and smoke in this powerful yet softly textured wine. A varietal Grenache sourced from old vines on limestone sand and fermented in whole clusters, it’s a weighty, concentrated sip balanced by a spine of mineral freshness. A bit closed in youth, the wine will benefit from a few years of cellaring. Editors’ Choice
-
Wine Spectator
A brick house, this brims with cassis, blackberry reduction and fig preserve flavors supported by a strong spine of cast iron notes and laced throughout with bay, dried garrigue and racy chalky minerality. Muscular and rugged in temperament through the finish, but the well-defined pieces are in. Some patience is all that's needed.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
The Southern Rhône region of Gigondas extends northwest from the notably jagged wall of mountains called the Dentelles di Montmirail, whose highest point climbs to about 2,600 feet. The region and its wines have much in common with the neighboring Chateauneuf-du-Pape except that the vineyards of Gigondas exist at higher elevation and its soils, comprised mainly of crumbled limestone from the Dentelles, often produce a more dense and robust Grenache-based red wine.
The region has a history of fine winemaking, extending back to Roman times. But by the 20th century, Gigondas was merely lumped into the less distinct zone of Côtes du Rhône Villages. However, it was first among these satellite villages to earn its own appellation, which occurred in 1971.
Gigondas reds must be between 50 to 100% Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre comprising the bulk of the remainder of the blend. They tend express rustic flavors and aromas of wild blackberry, raspberry, fig, plum, as well as juniper, dried herbs, anise, smoke and river rock. The best are bold but balanced, and finish with impressively sexy and velvety tannins.
The Gigondas appellation also produces rosé but no white wines.