Domaine de Galuval is one of the oldest wine-producing estates in Cairanne. It was founded in 1923 by the Marchal family, who pioneered a more qualitative approach by making and bottling their own wines. The property covers over 100 acres in Cairanne and neighboring Rasteau, between three distinct terroirs, one of which we will feature today.
And that’s the Gayère Valley. This Cairanne sub-zone takes its name from the river that runs through it. It is renowned for the freshness of its pebble-laden clay soils which make it an ideal terroir for fresh, and elegant white wines. Situated to the south of the village of Cairanne, below the road that runs from Cairanne to Rasteau, this terroir is made up of loose accumulations of rock fragments, soil, and sediments, rich in moisture retaining silt, with a few stones and occasional gravel and pebbles. The clay is marbled, with limestone nodules, forming substrata that enable to vines to suffer from only moderate hydric stress. And, as you may be aware, it can get a little, ahem, warm in the southern Rhone.
The Domaine de Galuval Cairanne Blanc La Vallée 2022 comes from a single parcel of more recent plantings in the valley, an enticing field blend of Roussanne primarily, with Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Viognier.
On arrival at the cellar the grapes pass into a vibrating hopper to preserve the integrity of the berries. They are then entirely destemmed and directly pressed. This is followed by barrel fermentation for the entire blend. The lees are stirred into suspension before the wine is racked and then aged on fine lees. The wine then remains in barrel for 11 months before bottling.
