• Our Wines

    Terroir-driven wines, expressed with elegance,
    balance and harmony.

Features

Cairanne reds are traditionally layered with scents of red fruit and spices. They are soft on the palate with beautifully smooth tannins and an elegant, balanced, complex finish.
They are delightful wines, ready to be enjoyed young, but which also have serious ageing potential.

Whites are typically floral in character, with fruity, mineral flavours.
Their character is based on the combination of the appellation’s three main varietals, Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. Grenache gives power and structure, while Clairette and Roussanne add elegant flavours and an edge of freshness.

Varietals

Cairanne is home to a host of different soil types and micro-climates, all of which have their own unique way of expressing the grapes.

Grenache is the main red varietal (minimum 50%), and responds particularly well to the Cairanne terroir. Syrah and Mourvèdre follow, making up a minimum of 20%. A number of auxiliary varieties can also be added, to a maximum of 30%. These include Cinsault and some older Carignan vines which give a good balance of acidity to alcohol.

White wines are made mainly from Clairette (30%), Grenache Blanc (20%) and Roussanne (20%). These may be complemented by other varietals, including Bourboulenc, Viognier, Marsanne and Picpoul.

A know-how

HARVEST / VINIFICATION

All grapes are picked by hand and carefully sorted, either in the vineyard or in the winery.

For vinification, winemakers are free to use their own judgement, either vinifying each varietal separately or blending several varietals together. They can also choose to de-stem the grapes, or to vinify whole bunches. Cuvaison lasts between two weeks and a month depending on the desired outcome – a fruity wine, or a wine for cellaring.

Red wines are aged in tanks or barrels, varying in size from 228-litre barrels to casks holding several dozen hectolitres. Ageing times also vary – from 6 months to several years, depending on the style of wine required.

For white wines, the grapes are picked with tremendous care, often early in the morning, to preserve as much flavour as possible. They are then pressed, and the resulting juice is fermented in tanks or barrels.

Whites can be bottled in the winter following harvest to give a fresh, aromatic wine, or after several months of ageing if greater complexity and ageing potential is required.

BLENDING

Grenache Noir, the southern Rhône Valley’s leading varietal, is the main grape grown in Cairanne, giving its wines complexity, depth and softness.

Syrah adds strength of colour, a burst of fruity flavour and floral scents. Mourvèdre with its spices and tannins brings aromatic complexity and increased ageing potential.

Other varietals, including Cinsault, Carignan, Counoise and Muscardin, give the wines added elegance.

Clairette is the area’s classic white varietal; it provides backbone, and fragrances of white flowers and menthol. Roussanne adds citrus and liquorice.

Grenache Blanc brings a stronger edge of minerality and a touch of sweet baking spice, giving the wines good complexity of flavour.

Complementary varietals, including Viognier, Marsanne, Picpoul and Bourboulenc, add richness and vibrancy.