Georges Darriaud, Cairanne, France
If you like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, then you will love this wine.
Cairanne is a beautiful village in the Southern Rhône. The wines were previously classified on the label as 'Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne', but after an extended period where it was seen by many as the most consistently excellent of the villages, it was elevated to cru status in 2016. This means that wine produced here is now just labelled 'Cairanne'. They sit at the same level in the classification hierarchy as well-known names such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas.
Fully ripe Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre grapes are hand-picked from old bush vines on selected hillside slopes within Cairanne. The vineyards have the classic argilo-calcaire soil of limestone pebbles over clay, and the vines are harvested by hand. The wine is matured in seasoned French new and old oak barrels
We definitely recommend opening the bottle at least an hour in advance. The flavours spread completely across the spectrum with deep red, black fruits and liquorice from the Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre. You then have the spice and toasty notes from two years in oak and finally figs and cedar from the three years of ageing.
CAIRANNE · SOUTHERN RHÔNE · FRANCE
A little village. A big Rhône red.
Love Châteauneuf-du-Pape? Meet your next discovery.
Right, let’s get this one open.
Taste it first
Dark fruit
Deep red and black fruits
Smell the oak
Spice & cedar
Liquorice, toast and warm oak notes
Plan ahead
Give it an hour
Open an hour before serving.
Grenache · Syrah · Carignan · Mourvèdre