At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Type
- Wine cooperative
- Place
- Cairanne village, Vaucluse, southern Rhône
- Appellation
- Cairanne cru
- Signature wine
- La Grande Réserve Cru Cairanne
- Wine colour
- Red
- Defining feature
- Mistral wind, varied soils and controlled red fermentation
The Producer
Denis Crespo directs the assembly and vinification of wines at Cave de Cairanne. The producer is a wine cooperative based in Cairanne village, Vaucluse, in the southern Rhône. Its named red is La Grande Réserve Cru Cairanne.
A cooperative cellar brings grapes from multiple growers into one place. The separate harvests are assembled and vinified under one producer name, so La Grande Réserve comes from a collective cellar rather than one grower's private estate.
Place
Cairanne is the Côtes du Rhône terroir where a hill massif meets the influence of two torrents, the Aygues and the Ouvèze. The village lies in Vaucluse, in the southern Rhône, and Cairanne is a named cru appellation. A cru appellation ties the wine name to a defined place, so Cairanne appears on the red label.
The Mistral alternates between violent gusts and calmer spells, creating a marked difference between day and night temperatures. Moving air can dry vines after rain, while cooler nights slow ripening and help grapes retain acidity. Cairanne's soils include limestone, clay limestone, yellow marl, red clay and sandy veins. Limestone and sand usually drain quickly, while clay and marl hold water longer. This changes the vine's water supply and the pace of ripening.
Wines
Cave de Cairanne's portfolio includes wines from the southern Rhône Crus. La Grande Réserve Cru Cairanne is its named red bottle. The 2022 vintage is a red wine at 15% alcohol. It is composed of 50 percent Grenache, 30 percent Syrah and 20 percent Mourvèdre.
Before fermentation, the red fruit is cooled to 8°C to 10°C for 48 hours. A cold soak keeps alcohol out of the extraction stage and draws aromatic compounds before fermentation begins. Red fermentation is held at 26°C to 29°C through the end of alcoholic fermentation, with a total target of 12 to 16 days. The long, gentle schedule is designed for softness and aromatic detail.
On the nose, La Grande Réserve shows concentrated aromas of black cherries and blackcurrant, with pepper, cinnamon and licorice.