Winemaker Notes
Le Poste's cool microclimate and limestone soil make it one of Saint Cosme's most structured, aromatic, and mineral intense wines of the estate. This wine always walks a knife's edge of power and finesse thanks to its deep fruit and precise structure. The wine features aromas and flavors of iodine, violet, pepper, and ash.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
My favorite of the trio (but that's splitting hairs), the 2022 Gigondas La Poste is similarly full-bodied and concentrated, yet I love its purity and balance. Ripe red and black fruit, violets, spring flowers, and foresty, garrigue nuances all shine in this beautifully polished, layered, elegant Gigondas that has flawless balance. It shows the riper style of the vintage yet stays light on its feet and incredibly pure. Don't miss it.
Barrel Sample: 97-99 -
Wine Spectator
A massive wine, this starts out with a voluptuous, generous well of black cherry, anise and plum puree that soon reveals a simmering layer of molten iron. Serious and brooding, with savory, smoky power and bitterness, yet this shows finesse and beautiful integration. The powerful black tea tannins.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Gigondas le Poste is derived from vines planted on the limestone, marl soils of lieu-dit Le Poste, near the Saint Cosme chapel. Revealing a floral, elegant bouquet of iris, violet, pepper, licorice and dark cherries, it's full-bodied, tense and crystalline with a sappy, layered texture framed by sweet, velvety tannins, concluding with a long, delicately peppery finish. Matured 20% in new casks, 50% in one-year-old barrels and the rest in two-year-old barrels, this 100% Grenache is a real success.
-
James Suckling
A robust, well-built and structured Gigondas with impressive focus. The nose reveals notes of cherries, violets, Mediterranean herbs, stones and baking spices. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins. Plain, textured and structured. Rich core of berries and spices in the compact finish at this stage.
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.