Domaine du Cayron

This female-led family domaine was founded in 1840. Today, it is run by the three sisters Cendrine, Roseline and Delphine who represent the fifth generation of the Faraud family. The domaine spans 17 hectares, spread over 20 plots throughout the Gigondas appellation. They extend from the higher-altitude Col du Cayron at 430 metres – plots that lie in the shadows of the awe-inspiring Dentelles de Montmirail for much of the day – down to the alluvial plains of Bois de Menge at 140 metres.

True to the simplicity of Gigondas, Domaine du Cayron produce only one wine: a balanced blend of all their plots and terroirs, mixing concentrated old vines with younger. The average age of their vines is 45, with the oldest planted in 1920. Their winemaking couldn’t be more traditional and their cellar has seen few changes since it was built in 1937. Indeed, they only upgraded from a wooden basket press to a pneumatic press in 2015. Grapes are harvested by hand, mostly fermented as whole bunches and aged in concrete and old foudres.

In 2021 they continued to partially destem – a technique they first explored in ’20, but one which becomes key in cooler years to avoid incorporating underripe stalk tannins. They weren’t affected by frosts this year so their yield is fairly typical. Their wine displays refined concentration alongside the freshness and purity that has come to characterise this vintage.

Gigondas

Gigondas has been renowned for the quality of its wines since Roman times, although it was not really until it was classified as a Côtes du Rhône Villages in 1966 that it began to realise its potential.  It achieved AC status in 1971 and today produces some of the finest, most underrated and under-priced wines in the Rhône valley; although, for the last two of these at least, probably not for much longer.

Gigondas' 1,200-hectare of rugged vineyards are located east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, beneath the famous mountains of Dentelles de Montmirail. Gigondas produces sumptuous, plummy reds with a good structure and a sprinkle of pepper. It is similar to (if a touch less slick than) good Châteauneuf-du-Pape which, at its best, it can challenge and even surpass.

Made with a maximum of 80 percent Grenache, combined with at least 15 percent Syrah and/or Mourvèdre, the rest can be made of any of the varieties authorized for Côtes du Rhône – apart from Carignan. The wines can normally be broached after two to three years, while the best repay ageing for 10 years or more. The region also produces dry, Grenache-dominated rosés which are good but can sometimes lack a little vitality.

Recommended Producer: La Bastide St Vincent, Domaine Montirius

Grenache/Garnacha

Grenache (Noir) is widely grown and comes in a variety of styles. Believed to originate in Spain, it was, in the late 20^th century, the most widely planted black grape variety in the world. Today it hovers around seventh in the pecking order. It tends to produce very fruity, rich wines that can range quite widely in their level of tannin.

In many regions – most famously the Southern Rhône, where it complements Syrah and Mourvèdre, among other grapes – it adds backbone and colour to blends, but some of the most notable Châteauneuf du Pape producers (such as Château Rayas) make 100 percent Grenache wines. The grape is a component in many wines of the Languedoc (where you’ll also find its lighter-coloured forms, Grenache Gris and Blanc) and is responsible for much southern French rosé – taking the lead in most Provence styles.

Found all over Spain as Garnacha Tinta (spelt Garnaxa in Catalonia), the grape variety is increasingly detailed on wine labels there. Along with Tempranillo, it forms the majority of the blend for Rioja’s reds and has been adopted widely in Navarra, where it produces lighter styles of red and rosado (rosé). It can also be found operating under a pseudonym, Cannonau, in Sardinia.