Domaine de L’Oratoire Saint-Martin Cairanne Rouge “Réserve des Seigneurs” 2016

The brothers select fruit from the estate’s two lieu-dits for this spicy, peppery red blend. Fermented and aged in cement tank, so what you get is pure, ruddy and powerful fruit wrapped in a silky robe.

The finest leaders lead by example, and that is exactly what Frédéric and François Alary of Oratoire Saint-Martin in Cairanne have done for decades. Their personal modesty belies their unparalleled talent in crafting organically raised wines that speak of southern landscapes and summer-ripe flavors. The best wines of Cairanne are marked above all by an effortless finesse in both perfume and flavor. While other lowerland southern Rhônes struggle with heat and higher alcohol, Cairanne’s top wines from its chalky hills are poised and pure. This character is preserved faithfully at Oratoire; here the soul of the wine comes directly from the soil and the vine.

WINEMAKERS: Frédéric and François Alary (brothers)

ESTABLISHED: 1692

VINEYARDS: A selection of fruit from the estate’s two lieu-dits. Grenache and Mourvèdre from ‘Les Douyes,’ a limestone-rich plot facing northeast; and Syrah from ‘Saint-Martin,’ which faces south.

AGE OF VINES: 65 years, on average

WINEMAKING: Hand-harvested. Fermented on indigenous yeasts in cement tank. Aged for nine months in tank. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: Grilled lamb or beef; roasted chicken with herbs