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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2022 Cotes du Rhone, Les Deux Albion, Château de Saint Cosme Wine Republic

2022 Cotes du Rhone, Les Deux Albion, Château de Saint Cosme

Rhône Valley, France

Fireside in Provence

Darkly aromatic and generously layered, Les Deux Albion brings together the warmth of southern Rhône fruit and a wonderfully savoury, peppery character. Ripe plum, blackcurrant and dark cherry unfold alongside black olive, dried Mediterranean herbs and fragrant spice. A smoky, almost meaty undertone adds depth, giving the fruit a compelling earthiness that invites another swirl of the glass.

The palate is generous and richly textured, with succulent fruit framed by ripe, finely chalky tannins. Freshness runs through its darker flavours, keeping the wine balanced and lively, while black pepper and savoury spice linger through a long, satisfying finish. There is substance here for hearty dinners and slow evenings, together with enough structure to reward further time in the cellar. A characterful Rhône red that delivers both immediate pleasure and something to discover as it opens.

For when: The fire is lit, dinner is taking its time, and nobody is watching the clock.

Pairs with: Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary, venison casserole, duck confit with lentils, grilled Toulouse sausages, mushroom and aubergine gratin, or mature Comté.

Les Deux Albion brings together fruit from Plan de Dieu, Saint-Maurice and Cairanne, drawing on the diversity of the southern Rhône. Its distinctive character owes much to the traditional practice of fermenting different grape varieties together with their stems, creating a wine in which fruit, spice and savoury complexity feel closely interwoven.

Château de Saint Cosme is one of the Rhône’s great historic names, with wine made on the site since Roman times and the Barruol family in possession of the estate since 1490. Louis Barruol has built a formidable reputation for wines that combine old-vine depth with freshness, detail and a strong sense of terroir. Les Deux Albion is his Côtes du Rhône statement, drawing fruit from villages with more serious pedigree than the appellation suggests and made with native yeasts and long élevage to deliver a wine of real depth, structure and finesse.

Whats in the bottle
Cinsault 2%, Clairette 3%, Grenache 50%, Mourvèdre 30%, Syrah 15%

Notable Awards
92 points, James Suckling

£24.95 - £24.95
£24.95
£24.95 - £24.95
£24.95
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Château de Saint Cosme is rooted in Gigondas, where the Barruol family has owned the property since 1490. Its history reaches further still: ancient winemaking vats carved into the limestone bear witness to the site’s Gallo-Roman past. Louis Barruol took over from his father in 1992, building on generations of experience while establishing the estate’s reputation for wines of depth, individuality and remarkable longevity.

The estate vineyards sit beneath the Dentelles de Montmirail, the dramatic limestone ridges that shape the landscape around Gigondas. Its celebrated individual sites, including Le Claux, Hominis Fides and Le Poste, reveal the differences between neighbouring parcels. Alongside these estate wines, Barruol works with vineyards elsewhere in the Rhône, bringing the same attention to origin and character to his wider range.

Respect for the vineyard has long guided the family’s approach. Louis’s father, Henri, began farming organically in the 1970s, with biodynamic practices introduced under Louis in 2010. In the cellar, indigenous yeasts and traditional techniques help preserve the personality of the fruit. The resulting wines combine generous flavour with freshness, structure and a distinctive savoury edge.

The 2022 Les Deux Albion combines Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Clairette, with Syrah leading the blend. Vineyard sources include Plan de Dieu, Saint-Maurice and Cairanne in the southern Rhône.

The grapes are fermented as whole bunches using indigenous yeasts, with the varieties co-fermented rather than vinified entirely separately. Fermentation takes place in concrete vats, with pumping over and punching down used to extract colour, flavour and tannin.

Maturation lasts 18 months in a combination of concrete vats and wooden tanks. This approach develops the wine’s texture while retaining its vivid fruit and savoury character. The wine is bottled without fining.

Alcohol: 14.5%. Residual sugar: 1.85g/L. pH: 3.79.

Wine-Searcher Retailer Awards 2026/27 Gold, Overall List in Cardiff