Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone le Poste Blanc 2019 (750ML)

100% Clairette
Tortonian marl at Saint Cosme chapel in the ‘Le Poste’ named vineyard

Fermentation in used casks and ageing on fine lees for 10 months.

Clairette is surely THE white grape of the southern Rhone. Our grandfathers explored this at length. They tried everything and Clairette quite naturally established itself. There is no denying that this grape variety has extremely worthwhile features for our region: it is quite late-ripening, produces low alcohol levels, shows very high resistance to the heat and has a fairly remarkable connection with limestone. In a fairly dry year like 2019, Le Poste rewarded us with a lovely crop that took us aback – the grapes were a lovely oval shape and produced very balanced wines. White Le Poste needs to be given time to mature – it is essential. If you wait for many long years, it even takes on petrol-like notes recalling the aromas mature German Rieslings develop. The Tortonian marl found at Le Poste is a geological accident – it shouldn’t be here. Hence, geologists refer to it as the ‘Saint Cosme accident’. Sometimes accidents are fortuitous – these soils have huge potential for winegrowing, both for reds and whites. The Piedmontese with their Barolo and Barbaresco realised this long ago as the Tortonian – from Tortona in Piedmont – is a common feature across the area.

Tasting notes: Gunflint, fennel, grapefruit.