The rating for 2017 Chateau de St Cosme Hominis Fides Gigondas is 95 points from Robert Parker and the tasting note - More peppery and floral than it was looking last year from barrel, the 2017 Gigondas Hominis Fides is another gorgeous Gigondas from the talented Louis Barruol. Boasting vibrant cassis fruit and hints of dark chocolate, this full-bodied, velvety-textured wine is a real beauty, showing terrific harmony and elegance on the finish. When I stopped in to visit in mid-June, proprietor Louis Barruol had a lot to smile about. Efforts to add white Gigondas to the appellation seem to be moving ahead, his Finger Lakes project (Forge Cellars) is ticking along and the last four vintages in the Southern Rhône have been good for quality, even if quantities aren't always what they could be. His activities in the Northern Rhône are going well too (more about those in the Northern Rhône report). I'm really happy with '18, he said. I've become not a great believer in crazy low crops—it's not that natural. In 2018, his average yields were a reasonable 32 hectoliters per hectare. It's not going to be as good as '16, but it's very good. The rating for 2017 Chateau de St Cosme Le Poste Gigondas is 96 points from Robert Parker and the tasting note - More civilized than it was last year out of barrel, the 2017 Gigondas le Poste boasts lovely blueberry and cassis fruit. It's full-bodied and intense yet silky and darn near elegant on the palate. Don't underestimate the quantity of (ripe) tannins here, which provide a pleasant chewiness to the long, salted-licorice finish. When I stopped in to visit in mid-June, proprietor Louis Barruol had a lot to smile about. Efforts to add white Gigondas to the appellation seem to be moving ahead, his Finger Lakes project (Forge Cellars) is ticking along and the last four vintages in the Southern Rhône have been good for quality, even if quantities aren't always what they could be. His activities in the Northern Rhône are going well too (more about those in the Northern Rhône report). I'm really happy with '18, he said. I've become not a great believer in crazy low crops—it's not that natural. In 2018, his average yields were a reasonable 32 hectoliters per hectare. It's not going to be as good as '16, but it's very good.