Discover the excellence of a family estate rooted since 1692 in Cairanne, where each generation of the Alary family perpetuates tradition and passion for wine, offering remarkable wine despite climatic challenges.

Article published on Wine Advocate, written by Joe Czerwinski. Wine Advocate is a world-renowned site for detailed reviews and in-depth ratings with a score system out of 100, serving as a reliable guide for wine lovers, collectors and industry professionals.

General comments from the domaine: “Since 1692, a lineage of winemaking in Cairanne is represented today by Denis Alary and his son Jean-Etienne, who embody the 10th and 11th generations of this family estate. After participating in harvests at Seresin in New Zealand and Henschke in Australia, Jean-Etienne completed his first harvest as domaine winemaker in 2016, with a remarkable start. Subsequent harvests encountered much more difficult conditions, but the father-son team overcame these challenges, consistently producing high-quality wines, even if yields were sometimes low.

About a quarter of the estate is now devoted to white wines, as the market seems receptive. However, the climate can pose challenges. “In 2022, we started harvesting very early, on August 17,” said Jean-Etienne. “The aim was to preserve freshness. In a hot vintage, it’s better to have a normal harvest.” A more abundant harvest slows down ripening and allows longer ripening times. The 2022 vintage was also the team’s first night harvest, to help preserve freshness.

Ripeness – without excess – is a hallmark of the domaine’s red wines. In 2021, says Jean-Etienne, “A lot of people were worried about rain and had finished harvesting when we started our Grenache.” The result is a series of solid wines from a difficult vintage, with even better wines to come in 2022. There’s even a new cuvée from a plot of Grenache planted in 1961 and previously farmed by a relative who sent the grapes to the local cooperative. Alary’s Cairanne le Bassin 2022 is a remarkable Grenache, worthy of being sought after on the market, especially as prices for this forward-thinking domaine have remained relatively stable.”

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