DOMAINE RICHAUD
PAST WINES
2024 A LA SOURCE
This entry level cuvée comes from their youngest vines, currently between three and seven years old. They’re primarily in Les Plantiers but the wine is traditionally beefed up with fruit from Les Granges and Garrigues. Yields are permitted to reach 40 hl/ha to promote a fresher profile. Grenache (60%), Syrah (15%), Counoise (15%), and Mourvèdre (10%) are destemmed into concrete for a short 8 to 10 day maceration before being pressed off back into tank for an eight month élevage. It is bottled with 15ppm of SO2. 14% ABV
2024 A LA SOURCE BLANC
This wine is a blend of Grenache Blanc (40%), Albariño (15%), Verdejo (15%), Vermentino (10%), Clairette (10%), and Bourboulenc (10%). Three plots were selected: Cros de Romet (on the plains beyond the river, young alluvial soils), Sablières (sandy soils just north of the domaine) and Ameillaud (older soils on the slope just beneath the winery). The vines are 4-7 years old, planted as an experiment to combat climate change. The grapes are crushed and cold macerated for 12 hours before an extremely gentle pressing. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel, where it rests for seven months. It is bottled with 20ppm of SO2. 13.5% ABV
2024 ROSÉ
This wine comes from three plots around the village: Cros de Romet (on the plains beyond the river, young alluvial soils), Garrigues (super rocky on the border of Rasteau) and Ameillaud (older soils on the slope just beneath the winery). They selected parcels within these sites with more limestone and clay. The vines average ten years old. It is made from Cinsault (80%), Albariño (10%), and Verdejo (10%). The grapes are crushed and undergo a seven-hour cold maceration before fermentation between 18-24º. After a short élevage in stainless steel, the wine is bottled.
2024 BULBILLE
Claire spearheaded this cuvée in 2019, wanting to make a lighter vin de soif that still has the personality of Cairanne. The bulk of the grapes come from Marie Richaud’s sandy plots, La Canarde and Sousville, under the village. It is a blend of Counoise (55%), Cinsault (30%), and Grenache (15%). The grapes were harvested early and underwent a whole-cluster carbonic co-ferment in concrete vats. Temperatures are kept under 20º to preserve aromatics and acidity. After a week, the wine is pressed off for an eight month élevage in concrete. It is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without SO2. 12.5% ABV
2024 TERRE D’AIGLES
This cuvée comes from several plots beneath the winery near the river, mostly from the lieu dit of Les Granges, Beauchières, Charpier, and la Meyeau; The proximity to water is very helpful for dry farming in an arid region. It is almost entirely flat so they use a larger, draping canopy to protect against sun and heat damage. The 70-year-old bush vines were the first farmed by Marcel fifty years ago and are conveniently across the street from their original cellar. The soils here are finer silt and sand but include some clay resulting in an earlier drinking cuvée. It is comprised of Grenache (55%), Carignan (25%), Syrah (10%), Mourvèdre (5%), and Counoise (5%). The grapes are fermented on skins (Carignan and Counoise as whole clusters) for 8 to 12 days before being pressed back into concrete for and eight month élevage. 15ppm of SO2 is added at bottling. 14.5% ABV
2023 TERRE DE GALETS
This wine is made from Carignan (30%), Grenache (20%), Syrah (20%), Counoise (20%), and Mourvèdre (10%). The grapes come from four plots: Garrigues, Carré, Canarde, and Truffière. Soils are red clay punctuated by large stones, some as big as bowling balls. The thirty-year-old vines cook in this scorching and arid site, unprotected from the elements. The grapes are mostly destemmed, although the Carignan is typically fermented whole-cluster. After a short maceration and limited remontage, the wine is pressed off for an eight-month élevage in concrete. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 15 ppm of SO2. 14.5% ABV
2022 CAIRANNE ROUGE
Their flagship wine comes from their best plots in Cairanne: Chantal, les Garrigues, les Combes, les Partides, la Ridel, and les Bayes. The vines are 40-70 years old and reflect all three terroir types including terraces above the village. These vineyards yielded 25hl/ha in 2022. It is a blend of Mourvèdre (40%), Grenache (20%), Syrah (20%), and Carignan (20%). All but the Carignan is destemmed for fermentation in concrete for roughly two weeks. The wine is then pressed into a combination of foudre (20%), demi-muids (30%), and concrete (50%). The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 15 ppm of SO2. 15% ABV
2022 CAIRANNE BLANC
With only 5% of Cairanne producing white wine, this is a rarity.This wine is made from a blend of Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier. Their white grapes are primarily planted on the sandier soils in the hills around the village. Vine age is between twenty and forty years old and yielded a modest 20 hl/ha this vintage. The grapes are crushed and macerated on skins for 12 hours before an incredibly long and gentle pressing. The juice is fermented in concrete at cold temperatures for a month before being racked into a combination of barrels and tanks. The varieties are blended shortly before bottling, receiving a judicious 15 ppm of SO2. 14.5% ABV
2021 CAIRANNE L’EBRESCADE
Their most limited wine comes from a handful of plots high above Cairanne on the hill of Ventabren hovering around 325m. The climate feels distinctly different, windy, exposed, almost alpine. Soils are an extremely nutrient poor combination of marls and calcareous stones. Very little grows out of the rocks and this vintage saw a meagre 12 hl/ha yield. The Mourvèdre (50%) and Grenache (20%) comes from forty year old vines, while the Syrah (30%) is more than 70. All these factors allow them to harvest at maximum ripeness without losing freshness. The grapes are destemmed and fermented in tank at cool temperatures for a few weeks before being pressed off into neutral demi-muids and foudre for two years of élevage. 14.5% ABV
2022 A LA SOURCE
This entry level cuvée comes from their youngest vines, currently between three and seven years old. They’re primarily in Les Plantiers but the wine is traditionally beefed up with fruit from Les Granges and Garrigues. Yields are permitted to reach 40 hl/ha to promote a fresher profile. Grenache (60%), Syrah (15%), Counoise (15%), and Mourvèdre (10%) are destemmed into concrete for a short 8 to 10 day maceration before being pressed off back into tank for an eight month élevage. It is bottled with 15ppm of SO2. 14% ABV
2022 TERRE D’AIGLES
This cuvée comes from several plots beneath the winery near the river, mostly from the lieu dit of La Béraude; The proximity to water is very helpful for dry farming in an arid region. It is almost entirely flat so they use a larger, draping canopy to protect against sun and heat damage. The 70 year old bush vines were the first farmed by Marcel fifty years ago and are conveniently across the street from their original cellar. The soils here are finer silt and sand but include some clay resulting in an earlier drinking cuvée. It is comprised of Grenache (65%), Syrah (15%), Carignan (10%), and Counoise (10%). The grapes are fermented on skins (the latter two varieties as whole clusters) for 8 to 12 days before being pressed back into concrete for élevage. 15ppm of SO2 is added at bottling. 14.5% ABV
2022 TERRE DE GALETS
This wine is made from Grenache (50%), Carignan (25%), Mourvèdre (15%), and Syrah (10%). The grapes come from four plots: Garrigues, Carré, Canarde, and Truffière. Soils in are red clay punctuated by large stones, some as big as bowling balls. The thirty-year-old vines cook in this scorching and arid site, unprotected from the elements. The grapes are mostly destemmed, although the Carignan is typically fermented whole-cluster. After a short maceration and limited remontage, the wine is pressed off for an eight-month élevage in concrete. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 15 ppm of SO2. 15% ABV
2021 CAIRANNE ROUGE
Their flagship wine comes from their best plots in Cairanne: Chantal, les Garrigues, les Combes, les Partides, la Ridel, and les Bayes. The vines are 40-70 years old and are primarily perched on terraces above the village. These stony vineyards only yielded 25hl/ha in 2021. It is a blend of Grenache (45%), Mourvèdre (25%), Syrah (15%), and Carignan (15%). All but the Carignan is destemmed for fermentation in concrete for roughly two weeks. The wine is then pressed into a combination of foudre (20%), demi- muids (30%), and concrete (50%). The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 15 ppm of SO2. 14% ABV
2021 CAIRANNE BLANC
This wine is made from a blend of Clairette (35%), Bourboulenc (31%), Roussanne (12%), Vermentino (10%), Viognier (6%), Grenache Blanc (3%), and Marsanne (3%). Their white grapes are primarily planted on the sandier soils in the hills around the village. Vine age is between twenty and forty years old. The grapes are crushed and macerated on skins for 12 hours before an incredibly long and gentle pressing. The juice is fermented in concrete at cold temperatures for a month before being racked into a combination of barrels and tanks. The varieties are blended shortly before bottling, receiving a judicious 15 ppm of SO2. 13.5% ABV
2021 TERRE DE GALETS
This wine is made from Mourvèdre (40%), Grenache (35%), Carignan (15%), and Syrah (10%). The grapes come from four plots: Garrigues, Carré, Canarde, and Truffière. Soils, especially in Garrigues, are red clay punctuated by small stones. The thirty+-year-old vines cook in this scorching and arid site, unprotected from the elements. The grapes are mostly destemmed, although the Carignan is typically fermented whole-cluster. After a short maceration and limited remontage, the wine is pressed off for an eight-month élevage in concrete. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with 15 ppm of SO2. 14% ABV