2019 Chateau de Saint Cosme Les Deux Albion Cotes du Rhone Magnum (1.5 L) Magnum

Few names are as closely associated with the Rhône Valley as Château de Saint Cosme. Robert Parker classifies their bottlings, made by 100-point legend Louis Barruol, as “some of the finest wines in the southern Rhône as well as France,” and has urged his readers to pay heed to the “terrific value” offered by Barroul’s Côtes-du-Rhônes. 

“I can’t think of a more dense and concentrated Côtes-du-Rhône in this price tier,” said our Master Sommelier, Sur Lucero, about the 2019 Les Deux Albion, which marries the value of Barruol’s overdelivering Saint Cosme Côtes-du-Rhône—far and away our #1 wine from the region, and boasting a 4.3-star rating from our members—with the ripe red fruit and wild, herby complexity of his top-end wines.

With Saint Cosme, it pays to be schooled on the label. The winery’s stellar Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes-du-Rhône wines labeled “Saint Cosme” (without “Château de” in front) come from contracted vineyard sources. Only the wines that come from Barruol’s own vineyards—all of their bar-setting Gigondas, as well as the Les Deux Albion wines—bear the full “Château de Saint Cosme” name on the label. 

The 2019 consists of estate-grown Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Mourvèdre, and Clairette from the Côtes du Rhône-Villages communes of Plan de Dieu, Saint Maurice, and Cairanne. The grapes are biodynamically farmed and whole-cluster cofermented. After aging in a combination of wooden vats and concrete, the wine is bottled unfiltered to showcase its gorgeous color and full range of aromatics.

The 2019 Les Deux Albion absolutely nails this category, and delivers a Châteauneuf-type experience through the work of a 100-point winemaker.