2020 Oratoire St Martin Cairanne Les Douyes Rouge

Biodynamic. Around 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre with just a touch of Counoise. The cuvée Les Douyes is drawn from a single limestone-rich terroir with vines co-planted in 1905. In qualitative terms, this wine stands toe-to-toe with the domaine’s cult rouge bottling Haut Coustias, though this wine spends a shorter time (12 to 15 months) aging in large old foudre. The vines are now well over 100 years old and yield between 18 and 25 hl/ha—one of the reasons this wine offers extraordinary power and value for money. Expect layers of black fruits with drive and clarity, a slick of creamy tannin and a lingering cool, bright tone on the finish. Unlike Haut Coustias, it needs a bit of time to fuse and unfurl. In the meantime, a T-bone steak and a decanter are your friends.