the Story is almost like a fairy tale – the small area of Cairanne, which had to fight so many years to be recognized – as the story of the ugly duckling.
the First in 2014 was Cairanne self AOC, after many years, have been a Côtes-du-Rhône Villages. The city is located in the northern part of the southern Rhône, not far from Gigondas. Be made in both white, rosé and red wines, but it is the red wines, which have given the area its reputation. They must consist of a minimum of 50% grenache, a minimum of 20% syrah and/or mourvèdre, and appellationens other permitted grape varieties allowed at a maximum of 20%.
the Story begins back in 1929, when a small group of vine-growers wanted to organize themselves for the future and protect the wine producers ‘ interests to work towards achieving AOC status and to ensure the promotion of the village’s wines. In the same year was La Cave Coopérative founded as well as Le Syndicat Général des Vignerons des Côtes du Rhône.
In 1953, the appellation of the name Côtes-du-Rhône Cairanne, and in 1967, it is assigned the appellation Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Cairanne.
I meet Denis Alary, who is President of the Vignerons de Cairanne, and he is glad that it finally succeeded after many years of struggle. A struggle, as the local started in 2008, and their ancestors had been fighting even longer. And so even with a significant foot pressure compared to the other areas in the southern Rhône. In Cairanne, one must only use the håndhøstede grapes, and a large part of the area around the fields constitute the forest, which has been preserved. And so the most notable rule, namely, that maximum must be used 100 mg/l sulfur, which is somewhat below the EU standard of 150 mg/l. In 2015, producers could choose whether they will use the AOC Cairanne or Villages, as they used to.
Not all of the original area of Cairanne was recognized. In all, the area was reduced from 1.350 to 1.088 ha, and it went especially out of the southern fields, which were cut from for the sake of quality. These fields were due to soil and exposure to heat compared to the rest of the area. The led according to Denis Alery to a lot of discussion, but he is satisfied that the quality was the winner.
And the quality has grown considerably over the past 10 years, and the region was the year’s big surprise with many quite awesome wines, at the last big tasting of Rhônevine, Découvert du Rhône.
Alarys and Brusset is the two leading families in the Cairanne, but there are many new, exciting producers on the way forward. The best fields you will find to the east of the village of Cairanne, south-facing with high content of the discs. The calcareous white clay provides a robust, powerful wines with high tannins, which are characterized by very deep colors. It is wines, which are generally spicy and more elegant in style – not as heavy as in red wines and not so rustic as in Rasteau.
So the future looks very bright for the Cairanne, but the competition is also large, and there are many on the tender in the southern Rhône. But the prices are extremely reasonable, and the area is perhaps one of the places in France where you get the best quality for its money. But it is given not by, when first the world get the eyes up for the high quality, as the area’s wines.
8 excellent wines from Cairanne
94
Jysk Wine | 155 kr.
100% grenache from 60-year-old enkeltmark. Fruity with fine hindbærnoter and spices. Intense yet elegant.
. 93
Jysk Wine | 143 kr.
Made of syrah and grenache 50/50. Intense in expression, with a distinctive spicy taste. Nice concentration, a powervin.
. 93
Bichel | 200 dkk.
60% grenache and 40% mourvèdre. 18 mdr. in foudres. Juicy and nice wine with nice concentration. Red bærnoter, elegant in expression, with a great ending.
91
Bichel | 150 kr.
60% grenache, 30% mourvèdre and 10% syrah from ca. 50-year-old canes. Stored 9 months in casks and cement tank. Frugtdrevet with red bærnoter, licorice, pepper and spices. Elegant and well balanced wine with a juicy finish.
93
ViniTop | 169 dkk.
Enkeltmark with 70% grenache, 20% syrah and 10% mourvèdre from the 75-year-old canes. Very nice balanced. Ripe red bærnoter, spices, flowers and spices. Nice concentration and a long finish.
. 93
Sigurd Muller Wine | 148 kr.
From south-facing slopes as called Chabrilles. 65% grenache and the rest syrah. Concentrated wine with a very nice structure. Lots of red bærnoter and a long finish.
94
Oxholm Wine | 149 kr.
85% grenache and the rest carignan from 100 year old vines. Juicy and spicy in the term. Lots of black cherry, tobacco, pepper and spices. Violets in the end.
. 91
Genereaux | 130 kr.
55% grenache, 35% syrah and 10% carignan. Rustic in expression, but in a good way. Nice koncentation and lots of spicy notes, licorice, pepper and black berries. Neat finish.
