Boutinot La Cote Sauvage Cairanne les Deux Barriques Boutinot

Boutinot’s love affair with the Southern Rhône spans thirty years of making wine in the region. In 2010, the relationship was sealed with the purchase of a winery and vineyards above the village of Cairanne. Domaine Boutinot’s seven vineyards are planted with classic southern Rhône grape varieties – old vine Grenache Noir and Syrah, Mourvèdre and Carignan Noir – and they all sit within the Cairanne Cru boundaries, sanctioned in 2016 when Cairanne was granted its own appellation status.

Working with our vigneron neighbours we are helping to revive traditional grape varieties such as Cinsault and Counoise, and in the cellar we prefer time-honoured winemaking methods such as a long cuvasion aided only by natural yeasts, gentle remontage, manual pigeage and patient maturation in a nursery of French oak barrels.

In July 2021 Domaine Boutinot Rhône achieved the Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE 3) certification This certification recognises a high level of commitment to protecting and enriching the environment with the focus on biodiversity conservation, plant protection strategy, management of fertiliser use and management of water.

Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvedre

Made from low-yielding old vine Grenache and Carignan Noir, with Syrah and Mourvèdre grown in the hills above the village of Cairanne in the southern Rhône Valley.

60 Grenache Noir, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre.

Hand-picked grapes are vinified only by naturally occuring yeasts, aided by manual pigeage and gentle remontage in open topped oak vats (tronconique). Les Deux Barriques is matured for up to 24 months in French oak demi-muids (600 litre barrels); the wine is neither fined or filtered before bottling at Domaine Boutinot in Cairanne.

Made only when the assemblage tastings of La Côte Sauvage reveal two outstanding barrels - 'Deux Barriques' - that merit bottling in their own right. Presented in a wooden gift box vintages include the celebrated triumvate of 2010,2011 and 2012, with vintages from 2015 onwards released as cru Cairanne AOC.

The hallmark of ‘Les Deux Barriques’ is finesse not power. Explosive aromas and flavours of astonishingly ripe red fruits interlaced with mocha and seductively sweet oaky nuances crescendo in an enticingly smooth and silky palate of intricacy and surprising delicacy.

A wine deserving of exceptional cuisine – a tender fillet mignon pan fried until medium rare or a vegetarian version of Beef Wellington made with shitake and chanterelle mushrooms. Perfect with cheese too, especially hard cheeses such as artisan Cheddar or Comté.