Tasting with the young vignerons of Cairanne
Cairanne is a dynamic appellation and there are quite a few young winegrowers operating here. I met with a few of them at Serre-Blanc, a recently acquired domaine headed by a 30-year-old pilot called Charles Aubert. It was a really interesting tasting on a beautifully sunny March afternoon.
Charles Aubert went organic with his first vintage in 2022, and then progressed to biodynamics. This farm had been organic since 2009. There are 20 hectares in AOC Cairanne and Côtes-du-Rhône Village Plan-de-Dieu.
Château de Serre-Blanc Cairanne Blanc 2022
Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette (stainless steel). Blue clay soils higher up on the slope. Hand harvested, fermented in used French oak (Bourgogne) for 8 months then bottled together. Complex and layered with fine, fresh citrus fruit and some pear and white peach. Has a slight salinity and a bit of fine-grained structure. Such finesse here. 93/100
Château de Serre-Blanc Résurgence Cairanne Rouge 2021
First vintage. The top of the vineyard, galets roulés, 80-year-old vines, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah. Low-temperature vinification at 21/22 C, then 14 months in barrel and demi-muids, all used. Delicate, refined nose with some liquorice and pepper notes as well as red cherries and plums. The palate is fresh, focused, and shows some delicacy with nice tannins hiding under the sweet cherry fruit. Nice precision here with fine structure. 94/100
Château de Serre-Blanc Cairanne Rouge 2022
Five varieties, led by Grenache, with Syrah, Carignan (70 years old), Mourvèdre, Cinsault. Same vinification in concrete tank, 20-22 C. Elevage in concrete. Lovely freshness and focus here with a wet stone edge to the sweet red cherry, cranberry, and berry fruits. Peppery and detailed with nice grippy tannins and notes of black tea and garrigue on the finish. I love the bright fruit here. 94/100
I tasted with Jean-Etienne Alary, who’s an 11th generation winegrower, with 30 hectares organically farmed. The vines are mainly on the slopes, around the mountain, and then part in the beginning of the garrigues with more sandy soils.
Domaine Alary La Jean de Verde Cairanne Blanc 2021
100% clairette from blue clay stone with some sand. 9 months in demi-muids, all used. No problems with dryness here: deep soils. Delicate, fine, and slightly salty with lovely balance, showing sweet pear and white peach fruit with a lovely stony note on the finish. Fine and expressive with real precision as well as depth. 94/100
Domaine Alary La Brunote Cairanne Rouge 2021
Co-fermented Grenache, Mourvèdre (50%) and Carignan (15%). 40% whole bunch, split among the varieties. 55-year-old vines on average. Fresh, linear, and fine with some lightness of body but also nice concentrated flavours of dried herbs, red cherries, and plums. There’s a sweet core to the red berry and cherry fruits, with some fine peppery notes and lovely dried herb, aniseed, and garrigue notes on the finish. Such finesse here. 94/100
Alexandre Berthet-Rayne makes these wines alongside her father; she’s the fifth generation, working with her husband. She’s been working since 2017. In 2023 she had a baby in August, so she didn’t participate in the vintage. They’ve been making natural wines since 2013, and in 2020, during her first vintage, she started with Cairanne.
Cuvée Les Perchettes Cairanne Blanc 2023
Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussane, and Viognier. Organic and biodynamic. Stainless steel. No added sulfites, and Vin Methode Nature. Fresh, supple, and textured with smooth, sleek pear, melon, and peach fruit, with a smoothness to the texture. Slight saltiness here. Very pure and harmonious with nice elegance. 93/100
Cuvée Les Perchettes Cairanne Rouge 2022
60% Grenache (half whole bunch), 40% Syrah. No added sulfites. Vivid and quite powerful with a dry quality to the black cherry and blackberry fruit. Grippy and grainy with nice detail, showing a savoury, gravelly, slightly tarry edge to the palate. Lovely intensity here, finishing quite dry and grippy. 92/100
Martin Lepoutre and his partner Marta represent the 6th generation involved in the estate. Martin joined last summer, while Marta became part of the team in 2018. Her mother and grandmother are still active on the estate. This specific cuvée originated in the mid-1980s.
Cuvée d’Estevenas Cairanne 2019
15% alcohol. 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. The wine matures in concrete tanks. It showcases a complex and refined profile with lovely grain textures and nicely layered berry and cherry fruits. Featuring notes of liquorice and liqueur-like cherry fruit, it has depth and warmth complemented by finesse and a hint of white pepper on the finish. Truly impressive. 94/100
Cuvée d’Estevenas Cairanne 2017
14.5% alcohol. This vintage is savoury-laced and supple with a grainy character beneath sweet cherry and plum fruit. It features a nice weight with fresh red cherry as well as stewed plum and damson notes, though not overwhelming. The balance between fruit and savoury characteristics is handled well, ending with a touch of liquorice and pepper. 93/100
Website: https://grandes-serres.fr/en/maison-grandes-serres-chateauneuf-du-pape/
Romain Leroy leads the operations at Grandes Serres, a domain and negoce rooted in Chateauneuf, which is owned by the Picard family from Bourgogne. The domain’s vineyards are situated in Cairanne, Chateauneuf du Pape, and Cotes du Rhone. Their wines are crafted without the use of sulfites.
Grandes Serres Haute Culture Cairanne 2019
15% alcohol. Organic. Sourced from the locations Les Enregades, Les Coustias, La Riedel at 250-350 meters elevation, featuring limestone with white and yellow marls. The wine is aged in concrete. It is fine, detailed, and expressive, boasting a delightful freshness in the red cherry and raspberry fruit. This modern and refined wine also displays some sweet fruit. The tannins are fine-grained, with pleasant notes of liquorice and aniseed on the finish, combined with sweet, ripe fruit. Truly exceptional. 95/100
CAIRANNE