Oratoire Cairanne Haut Coustias 2014

Oratoire Cairanne Haut Coustias is a Mourvèdre-led red from the highest plots of Domaine de l'Oratoire Saint Martin, and the estate's flagship bottling.

Cairanne sits on the left bank of the Aigues in the southern Rhône and was promoted from Côtes du Rhône Villages to a cru in its own right in 2016; it is unusual in the south for how much limestone its soils carry. Haut Coustias comes from the Alary brothers' highest parcels, rocky blue clay with as much as forty per cent active limestone, worked on vines of around sixty-five years. The blend is 60% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah and 20% Grenache, with a small amount of Viognier co-fermented. Fruit is sorted three times and destemmed, fermented naturally in concrete, then aged for twenty-four months in 22-hectolitre wooden foudres of the kind more often found in Barolo cellars than in the Rhône. Production is about 8,000 bottles a year.

Mourvèdre in this proportion wants time, so give it several years in the cellar or decant an hour ahead. Serve at 16–18°C with slow-cooked lamb shoulder, a daube of beef or hard sheep's cheese.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.