Domaine Richaud, situated in the heart of Cairanne, has a reputation for producing some of the finest wines of the Southern Rhône, characterised by bright fruit, superb balance and great drinkability. Marcel Richaud is the fifth generation of his family to make wine. Stylistically, he sees himself as having more in common with Burgundy’s Côte d‘Or than with what he describes as “the over-extracted wines of the South”. Today, his daughters Claire and Édith and his son Thomas run the family domaine.

The Richaud family’s approach allows the true expression of the fruit and the vineyards to shine through in the glass. All 30 hectares of Richaud’s meticulously kept vineyards are certified organic. The low-yielding, bush-trained Grenache (60% of plantings), Syrah (15 – 20%) and Mourvèdre (15 – 20%) vines are planted on poor soils and range from 40 to 70 years old. The wines have excellent concentration as a result.

The ‘Terre de Galets’ is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mourvèdre and Counoise. The wine is vinified in concrete tanks where it remains until bottling. It offers aromas of fragrant black fruit with a hint of black olive and anise on the nose. On the palate it is well structured with grainy tannins and a blackberry fruit lift on the finish. The Cairanne is a blend of 30% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 15% Counoise, 20% Carignan and 15% Syrah. 60% of the wine is fermented in tank and the rest in 600 litre oak barrels. Claire bottles the wine without fining or filtration to maintain the vibrant berry fruit character. On the palate, the Cairanne displays bright red fruit and wild herbs, supple tannins and a long, alluring finish. The Cairanne Blanc reflects the innovative spirit of Marcel and his family who continue to raise the profile of the Cairanne appellation. The wine has an expressive character of white flowers and bright stone fruit with a lovely, textured palate and freshness from the clay, limestone soils.