Domaine Alary, Cairanne Rouge, L'Estévenas, Southern Rhône, France, 2021

Producer Profile

Denis Alary’s wines are benchmark Southern Rhônes: spicy, rich and peppery with warm, juicy fruit, they are consistently appealing and a great representation of the region.

While Grenache makes up the majority of the vines planted on the 29ha of vineyards, Denis also has an old plot of Syrah that is used judiciously in the cuvée ‘L’Estévenas’. Despite increasing fame and demand, these wines remain great value. Since 2016, Denis has been joined on the estate by his wine-passionate son Jean-Etienne following the latter’s travels in Australia and in New-Zealand. Together, they handle the management and marketing, including sales directly from the cellar, along with the vinification and viticulture. Driven by Jean-Etienne, the estate is now also moving towards biodynamic cultivation.

Viticulture

This is a roughly 50/50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, the latter sourced from one of the oldest Syrah parcels in Southern Rhône—vines planted in 1961—yielding intensely concentrated fruit. The vineyard follows organic (and increasingly biodynamic) practices since 2009, with low intervention, hand-harvesting, and low yields. Rooted in clay-limestone and galets roulés soils on sun‑drenched slopes, these vines retain freshness and build elegant structure. Harvested exclusively by hand, to allow sorting in the vineyard and another trie at the entrance to the cellar.

Winemaking

Fermentation is carried out in concrete vats, with about 30–50% whole-cluster inclusion for freshness, spice and structural complexity. Separate vinification of each of the different grape varieties. Aged concrete tanks, the wine maintains varietal purity while gaining textural depth. The approach is minimalist, with careful extraction to preserve elegance, producing a wine that feels both powerful and refined.

Tasting Note

The palate is medium-to-full-bodied, creamy and lush, with juicy dark fruit flavours, fine-grained tannins, savoury nuance and a seamless mouthfeel. The finish is long, silky and elegantly structured, with black fruit lingering alongside savoury, mineral and herbal notes.

Food Matching

Game meats or rack of lamb with pepper-crust, roasted root vegetables drizzled with olive oil and fresh herbs.