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Domaine de Saint Cosme - “Les Deux Albion“ 2018 white Principauté d’Orange A vineyard we planted entirely ourselves on the limestone soils of Saint Martin 40% Viognier - 20% Marsanne - 30% Picpoul - 4% Clairette – 3% Ugni blanc – 3% Bourboulenc Fermentation: 25% in demi-muids, 50% in small barrels and 25% in tanks. Aged on the lees. Each vintage at Saint Martin brings us its share of learning and surprises. We are constantly pushing the boundaries of this extremely calcareous soil. In fact, from year to year we harvest earlier because this is the way quality is pushing us. Excessive ripeness in southern Rhone Valley whites is the main pitfall that needs to be avoided. The mistake is very quick to make and there is no going back. This year we experimented with wild starter yeasts that produce more dynamic fermentations at low temperatures: this was conclusive and the aromatic complexity of the wild ferments expresses itself well. Every year new plots of land come on-stream and give us food for thought. In 2019, we will harvest the first fruit from new field selections of Marsanne and Viognier from Hermitage and Condrieu, and we will plant 0.5 hectares of ‘Saint Côme’, the Aveyron grape variety that bears the name of our estate. The 2018 is very fresh. Its aromas of white peach, mango and rose usher in a balanced, saline palate. I am very happy with what the Saint Cosme team has done in this beautiful abandoned vineyard site. We have given a small piece of land a new lease of life. Flint, dried apricot, marshmallow, violet.