Appellation
Cairanne
Identity card
VillageAOPRedWhite
Rhône Valley › Southern Rhône
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Reds and whites, from the commune of Cairanne alone.
- Hand-picking and sorting are compulsory.
- Reds: at most 38 hl/ha and at least 12.5% natural alcohol.
Grape varieties
Red
Allowed as a small share of the red wine: Bourboulenc, Vaccarèse (grape entry not yet written), Carignan, Cinsaut, Clairette, Clairette Rose, Counoise (grape entry not yet written), Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Muscardin (grape entry not yet written), Piquepoul Blanc, Piquepoul Noir (grape entry not yet written), Roussanne, Terret Noir, Viognier (30% at most of the holding's vines)
Grenache Noir · at least 50% of the holding's vines
Mourvèdre, Syrah · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Grenache Noir · at least 40% of the blend
White varieties: at most 5% of the vines
Blend: Grenache with at least one complementary variety
White
ClairetteGrenache BlancRoussanne
Accessory varieties: Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Piquepoul Blanc, Viognier (30% at most of the blend)
Clairette · at least 30% of the holding's vines
Grenache Blanc · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Roussanne · at least 20% of the holding's vines
At least two principal varieties, each at least 20% of the blend
Each accessory: at most 20% of the vines, 10% of the wine
Production rules
Minimum ageing: Reds: at least until 15 February of the year after the harvest
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Hills to the north (339 m), a plain to the south
- Soils: Miocene safre sands, Aygues and Ouvèze terraces
- Climate: Mildly Mediterranean; mistral varies with shelter
Wine style
- Red
- fine tannins
- acidity-alcohol balance
- fruit that develops
- White
- fine and fresh
- white fruit
- floral notes
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
25 June 2018
Order of 25 June 2018 approving the specification of the AOC “Cairanne” (JORF no. 0147 of 28 June 2018, text no. 37; BO of the Ministry of Agriculture of 5 July 2018).
Labelling terms
- "Cru des Côtes du Rhône" may appear on the label
- The name of a registered lieu-dit may appear on the label
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Cairanne »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
A southern Rhône cru confined to the single commune of Cairanne, in the north of the Vaucluse. Part of the Côtes du Rhône, then of the Côtes du Rhône Villages, Cairanne became a cru in 2016. It makes mostly reds, led by Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre, and whites based on Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. Grapes are picked by hand and sorted.
Mini-challenge
Cairanne
3 questions on Cairanne, all answered right, and the appellation is mastered in your Atlas.
Preparing the mini-challenge…