Cave de Cairanne

Cave de Cairanne is a wine cooperative located in the commune of Cairanne, in the Vaucluse department, in the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur region. It markets southern Rhône Valley appellations such as Cairanne and Rasteau.

The history of Cave de Cairanne

Archaeological research has unearthed amphorae dating back to Roman times, attesting to wine production that was already well established in Antiquity. It has never ceased since.

In the 14th century, Pope John XXII was a fervent ambassador for Cairanne wines. During the annual tithe levy - the tax representing 10% of agricultural revenues paid to the Church - the Pope systematically demanded twelve barrels of Cairanne.

The Cave de Cairanne was founded in 1929. The region's winegrowers wanted to showcase their wines and preserve the specific characteristics of their terroir. They were the first to lay the foundations for the future appellations contrôlées. Rieu, one of Cairanne's winegrowers, took advantage of the impetus provided by Baron Le Roy - the man behind the revival of wine appellations in France - to unite the region's winegrowers.

This mobilization paid off, allowing winegrowers to put the name Cairanne on their bottles from 1953 onwards, and the Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne appellation was made official in 1967. It wasn't until 2018 that Cairanne was finally recognized as a Cru des Côtes du Rhône.

Today, the Cave de Cairanne groups together 65 winemakers who share the management of 550 hectares of vines.

The Cave de Cairanne vineyard

The Cairanne vineyard covers only the commune of Cairanne. It covers 846 hectares, 550 of which are farmed by Cave de Cairanne winemakers. The terroir is quite varied and benefits overall from the dry, warm Mediterranean climate.

To the south, the garrigue plateau is mostly composed of stony alluvium, which blends with the finer grains of the soil. The plots benefit from exceptional sunshine, as well as the mistral wind that beats down on the vines. The wind dries and purifies the vines, repelling parasites.

The northern part of the terroir consists of the slopes of the Ventabren mountain. The soil consists of pebbles and limestone, with some traces of flint and marl.

The terraces to the west are composed of clay, fine sand and flint.

Cave de Cairanne's vineyards are 96% red and only 4% white. Half of the red grape varieties are Grenache. A further 30% is reserved for old Carignan vines and Cinsault. The remaining 20% is divided between Mourvèdre and Syrah.

The white grape varieties are 30% Clairette, 20% Grenache Blanc, 20% Roussane and the final 30% is shared between Viognier, Bourboulenc, Picpoul and Marsanne.

The wines

Red wines

Grande Réserve Rouge
Antique
Le Chêne Noir

White Wines

Grande Réserve White
Le Pas de Baume
Blanc Passion

Rosé wines

Le Chêne Givré Rose
Le Pas de Baume