First it was Sabon, then Palon and now Cayron! Not only do they rhyme, but these three southern Rhône producers make superb, world class wines. In the case of Domaine du Cayron it is a highly-touted Gigondas. And this time around it is their extraordinary 2010 vintage in three formats – regular bottles, magnums and jeroboams. This wine is for those with patience; it needs to be cellared for a few years. If you are blessed with a good dollop of self-restraint (and a decent cellar), this wine is not to be missed.
As Robert Parker notes in his excellent book ‘Wines of the Rhône Valley’, “Gigondas remains one of the wine world’s great bargains. Gigondas is never a shy or subtle wine. Its appeal is its robust, frank, generous, extroverted character, in addition to its value. It is to be savoured and admired because of these virtues. Great wines from Gigondas will rival those of its neighbor Châteauneuf du Pape and the wines produced under the skillful hands of the Faraud family often do just that.”
A Reminder – the 2010 Vintage in the Southern Rhône was Very, Very Good
As the ubiquitous Robert Parker reports, “This is a great vintage that comes close in quality to 2007 in the southern Rhône. Some producers think 2010 eclipses 2007 because of the wines vivid focus and freshness.
The 2010s will have significant aging potential, which is obvious in the level of tannins, but the tannins are sweet with exceptional elegance and finesse. This is another great vintage that offers an embarrassment of riches for this region that has enjoyed a succession of extraordinary years. Add the possible trifecta in 2011, and readers can see why more and more importers and consumers are beating a path to these outstanding wines that offer a terrific ratio in terms of value and pleasure, as well as the potential for moderate evolution in wine collection.”
Domaine du Cayron
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Cendrine, Delphine, Roseline et moi!
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Considered by many to be the benchmark producer in the appellation, (Robert Parker includes it as one of only three ‘Outstanding’ producers of the appellation) Cayron crafts a Gigondas of phenomenal richness and incredible longevity. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more terroir-expressive wine anywhere in the Southern Rhone. Furthermore, Cayron is among the most age-worthy of Gigondas, delicious upon release, but improving for well over a decade and holding strong for a long time thereafter. This 16-hectare domaine is a classic and truly top-flight estate.
Established in 1840, Domaine du Cayron is situated at the entrance of the picturesque village of Gigondas. For the past four generations, the property (including a very special plot of seventy year old gnarled Grenache) has been owned and managed by the Faraud family. Michel Faraud has turned over the operation of his winery to the fifth generation - his three daughters Delphine, Cendrine and Roseline. They spend a great deal of time in the vineyard, restricting yields and always hand harvesting the grapes at their maximum ripeness. The grapes are then hand pressed in an ancient wood press! The wine then rests in old wood for up to a year before it is bottled. The Farauds don’t fine or filter their Gigondas and the massive amount of ripe black fruit flavors found in their wine is always tempered by a profoundly complex expression of the terroir. It is important to note that each vintage is truly unique. The wine is being made the way the Farauds want it. Their Gigondas is not manipulated to appeal to the prejudices of wine importers or writers. They don’t have to – each vintage is practically spoken for before the bottling begins.
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The Wine
The Farauds have kindly agreed to ship their 2010 treasures six-bottle cases, while the magnums come in three-bottle cases and the jéroboam (double magnum; 3000 ml) one to the case. We plan to take your orders to the LCBO on Friday, October 26th. Don’t miss out on this one!
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| 2010 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas – 14.% Alc. by Vol. |
$37/$222 - 6 btl. case |
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$84/magnum * - $252 - 3 magnum case |
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$170/jéroboam * – 1 jéroboam per case |
This classic Gigondas was crafted from70% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 14% Syrah and 1% Mourvèdre. The yield was a most miserly twenty-four hl/ha and came from vines averaging more than forty years of age. The grapes were hand harvested and were not destemmed. The cap was punched down daily during the alcoholic fermentation and the wine was neither fined nor filtered. The finished wine rested in old oak tanks for between six and twelve months.
The superb 2010 vintage is a wine to lay down. It is an intense, gorgeous bright violet colour and offers up full, complex aromas of highly perfumed red berries, cherries, black currants, underbrush, pepper, apricot (!) and hints of allspice and lavender. In the mouth it is opulent - silky and elegant, very well-balanced and full with a note of minerals on the lingering finish. After three or four years in the cellar it will go wonderfully with magret de canard, roasts, game and most cheese.
Order your classic Gigondas now. 6-bottle case 3-magnum case * 1-bottle jéroboam * – most impressive!
* silkscreen collector’s edition magnum and jéroboam
Note: the prices include a $1.00 per bottle handling fee.
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