The Domaine les Eschaffins of Cairanne of Rhone Valley

Our feet crunched through layers of dry oak leaves as we climbed a pebbly path towards the vineyards behind the farmhouse. Roots go deep here. Not just the tall oaks and squat vines, but families too. I walked the vineyards at Mas de Libian with Hélène Thibon, but it was her father Jean-Pierre that greeted me when I arrived. Hélène’s sister Catherine was out front with Bambi the horse, ploughing the sandier plots. Later, we tasted in the winery with Hélène’s son Aurélien. Three generations of a ...

Some Rasteau 2020s lack substance this year, but it’s a vintage that has played into the hands of those estates who favour elegance over power. Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2020 wines {"content":"PHA+JiM4MjE2O0lmIHlvdSB3YW50IHRvIG1ha2Ugd2luZXMgd2l0aCBmaW5lc3NlLCBpdCB3YXMgYSBnb29kIHllYXIsJiM4MjE3OyBzYXlzIE1pa2FlbCBCb3V0aW4uPC9wPgo8cD48ZGl2IGNsYXNzPSJhZC1jb250YWluZXIgYWQtY29udGFpbmVyLS1tb2JpbGUiPjxkaXYgaWQ9InBvc3Qt ...

Whenever I visit Domaine Richaud, just outside the village of Cairanne, the winemaking team remind me of friends I made at free parties in the 1990s in fields and disused warehouses. I’m not talking dreadlocks and dogs on strings, but there’s always an anarchic frisson in the air. You get the impression they know how to enjoy themselves. Perhaps it’s to be expected, given the radical furrow Marcel Richaud has ploughed. He’s approaching 70 now, but still thrums with pent-up energy, his ice-blue e ...