Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2024: The best of the vintage’s ‘precise and drinkable’ wines
There's both complexity and enjoyment to be found in these appellations in 2024, and Luberon whites are ripe for exploration.
It’s a decent vintage for reds in both Cairanne and Rasteau. In Cairanne, the wines are precise and drinkable thanks to their bright acidity and measured levels of alcohol.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring wines
Most don’t have the structure or concentration for long ageing, but they can be opened straight away and will likely give four or five years of enjoyment.
The whites might not be as reliable as in other appellations this year, but there are still many good wines to choose from.
Rasteau’s dry reds are in a similar quality and style to Cairanne’s. When the tannins are ripe and there’s sufficient concentration, the 2024s offer elegance and drinkability.
The limited selection of Vinsobres I tasted were less exciting, so there are just a few that made the selection.
See all Vinsobres wines tasted
Key Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres producers in 2024
- Domaine de l’Oratoire St Martin – Cairanne
- Domaine les Hautes Cances – Cairanne
- Domaine Alary – Cairanne
- Domaine Richaud – Cairanne
- Domaine des Escaravailles – Rasteau
- Famille Perrin – Vinsobres
Best-value Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres wines in 2024
- Domaine des Escaravailles, Classique, Rasteau 2024
- Brotte, Création Grosset, Cairanne 2024
- Famille Perrin, Les Cornuds, Vinsobres 2024
Compare vintages: See coverage from previous years
Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2023: Report and top-scoring wines
Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2022: Report and top-scoring wines
Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2021: Report and top-scoring wines
Beyond the crus
From the Named Villages of the Côtes du Rhône, there are several impressively fresh and concentrated reds from both Sablet and Valréas.
There are also thrilling individual wines from overperforming estates in Roaix, Massif d’Uchaux and Suze-la-Rousse. These under-the-radar gems represent some of the best value wines in the Rhône.
It’s clearly a very good vintage for Rolle (Vermentino), making for an exceptional year for Luberon whites.
With so many examples enjoying great balance and intensity – and no excess fat or alcohol – it’s the perfect vintage to explore this lesser-known style.
The whites of neighbouring Ventoux are also excellent, not to mention many of its reds, especially those from more elevated vineyards.
The best Côtes du Rhônes will be covered in a separate column on Decanter Premium in January.
See the full Rhône 2024 vintage report
Top-scoring Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres wines in 2024
Wines rated 97+ are featured in the main report
Related articles
- Walls: Rasteau 2020 in bottle
- Behind Rasteau’s renaissance plus 10 ‘new look’ bottles to seek out
- Rhône producer to know: Domaine Gramenon, Vinsobres
Domaine de l’Oratoire St Martin, Réserve des Seigneurs, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2024
Yellow plums and confit lemon aromas. Full-bodied, plenty of puppy fat but it neatens up, finishing soft and fresh. Really lifted, it's a lovely white...
2024
Domaine de l’Oratoire St MartinCairanne
Domaine Les Hautes Cances, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2024
Aromatically this features all the classic markers of Cairanne, taking in citrus, floral notes, stone fruit and subtle spicy sparks. It's full-bodied and generous, with...
2024
Domaine Les Hautes CancesCairanne
Domaine Alary, L'Estévenas, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2024
Interesting violet notes on the nose, alongside intense black olive. Very much a southern, Cairanne-specific expression of Syrah. Good length and freshness, ripe but tense...
2024
Domaine AlaryCairanne
Domaine Richaud, L'Ebrescade, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2024
The Mourvèdre comes through strongly both in the aromatics of violets and damsons, and in the velvety, lush but firm tannins – immediately identifiable on...
2024
Domaine RichaudCairanne
Domaine Brusset, Vieilles Vignes, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2024
Juicy, quite weighty for a 2024, with ripe, succulent plum, blueberry and blackberry fruit, all hemmed in by bright acidity and firm tannins. Good length...
2024
Domaine BrussetCairanne
Domaine Clos Romane, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2024
Closed on the nose to start with, but opens up with air – might need decanting if drinking young. Expressive and juicy palate with good...
2024
Domaine Clos RomaneCairanne
Domaine de la Tête Noire, Cairanne, Rhône, France, 2024
Elegant, fresh cranberry and cherry aromas. Only light on the palate, but has enjoyably ripe, delicate red fruits and fine, velvety tannins, closing with a...
2024
Domaine de la Tête NoireCairanne
Domaine des Escaravailles, Héritage 1924, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2024
Violets, blueberries and strawberries make for an aromatic style of pure Grenache on the nose, that then hits home on the palate with concentration, intensity,...
2024
Domaine des EscaravaillesRasteau
Domaine Brusset, La Bastide, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2024
Blackberry jam aromas lead to a palate that has good concentration, dark fruits and dried herbs. It's balanced by fresh acidity, with a gently warming...
2024
Domaine BrussetRasteau
Domaine de Beaurenard, Les Argiles Roses, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2024
Perfumed with blueberries, violets, fresh green herbs and dried strawberries. Juicy, generous, but not full-bodied, it has good acidity and tight tannins. Quite compact for...
2024
Domaine de BeaurenardRasteau
Domaine des Escaravailles, Classique, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2024
Fuller than this estate's other Rasteau wines this year, this has a wealth of damson and plum fruit, all shot through with a beam of...
2024
Domaine des EscaravaillesRasteau
Domaine du Trapadis, Les Adrès, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2024
A touch closed on the nose for now, but it has great energy and verve on the palate – good intensity and acidity too. Authentic,...
2024
Domaine du TrapadisRasteau
Domaine du Trapadis, Les Cras, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2024
More generous and full in body and concentration than Les Adrès, it's a bolder style of Rasteau, but still savoury, with chewy tannins. Plum, liquorice...
2024
Domaine du TrapadisRasteau
Domaine Elodie Balme, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2024
Good concentration for a 2024, juicy red berry fruits. It's a bit reductive now, so give it a decant. Hints of dark chocolate and olive...
2024
Domaine Elodie BalmeRasteau
La Ferme du Mont, Les Marnes Bleues, Rasteau, Rhône, France, 2024
Very much a classically styled Rasteau, with good depth, freshness and sucrosité of forest berry and strawberry fruits. Good acidity and succulent tannins, this provides...
2024
La Ferme du MontRasteau
Famille Perrin, Les Hauts de Julien, Vinsobres, Rhône, France, 2024
Black in colour in the glass, this is a fresh impression, showing all violets and clove. It has huge power, and great acidity. It's quite...
2024
Famille PerrinVinsobres
Famille Perrin, Les Cornuds, Vinsobres, Rhône, France, 2024
Very black in the glass as always, with aromas of black pepper and cinnamon. Only medium-bodied, but fresh and direct, with a focused feel, it's...
2024
Famille PerrinVinsobres
