Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux 2021 (750ML)

95-97 VM / 95 WS /94 JD / 93 DE

Brilliant violet color. Displays pungent, mineral- and spiceaccented cherry, black raspberry, potpourri and licorice aromas, along with hints of savory herbs, vanilla and incense. Chewy and tightly focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry, dark berry and Moroccan spice flavors that unfurl slowly through the back half. It closes with firm tension, chewy tannins and excellent tenacity, leaving resonating cherry and floral notes behind. All barriques, a third of them new.—Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

Opulent and broad, with a generous cascade of ripe plum and winey cassis notes wrapped in talc-fine yet sturdy tannins. Chewy, with strappy black licorice and cast iron moving in. A seductive, concentrated Gigondas, with impressive harmony as every element hums along toward the seemingly endless finish. Outstanding. Best from 2025 through 2040. 105 cases imported.—Kristen Bieler, Wine Spectator

The 2021 Gigondas Le Claux is elegant and refined, with medium-bodied richness and depth as well as ultra-fine tannins. It has an almost Pinot Noir-like quality in its ripe red fruits, spring flowers, camphor, and forest floor aromatics, and it has good concentration as well as length on the finish. As always, this single vineyard release is all Grenache that wasn't destemmed and was brought up in demi-muids.-Jeb Dunnuck

This is very good - ripe, with the fruit to stand up to the oak. Good acidity, balanced alcohol, some length too. A touch of caramel on the finish, and cinnamon sugar. Very old vines, all whole-cluster fermented in concrete, no destemming, indigenous yeasts and matured 100% in barriques; one-third new, one-third second-use, one-third third-use.-Matt Walls, Decanter