Domaine Rabasse Charavin Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne, 2004

I was lucky enough to acquire nearly a case of this beautiful Cairanne for a song at a Winebid.com auction. It is fully mature and at a beautiful stage for drinking.

Good deep ruby color. Red berries, cherries, lavender and garrigue--eveything you expect from a fine Cairanne. There is a bit of crinkly maturity showing in the bouquet, but, at least for me, it is very pleasant. This wine has always had more tartness or dryness than I expect from Cairanne, that, too, is a positive quality. The grapes clearly did not have the same level of ripeness that most 2003 and 2007 Rhones exhibited. But they also show more precise and focused fruit definition.

Corinne Couturier's Rabasse Charavin Cairanne has earned a place alongside Domaine de l'Oratoire Saint Martin in my personal Cairanne Hall of Fame.