WTN: Crayola Cayrons

[David M. Bueker]

2000 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas (1/30/2021)
My final bottle from six I bought a long time ago. I never expected to hold it this long, but I am glad I did. Round, herbal, still showing dried cherry and plum fruit, it was easy to drink on its own, and made a welcoming partner to dinner. There was a touch of bitterness on the finish that faded over time, replaced by a chalky finish bursting with leather and old, weathered wood notes. This is what I want in a Southern Rhône wine. I wonder if it still exists in the same form.

I enthused about a Cayron 2009 in a recent Rhône villages WF but thought it was at its peak. That could be wrong in view of your experience with the 2000. Mature Gigondas can be a real delight. Another one I recall is Goubert's Cuvée Florence 1995 at about 15 years old.

Domaine du Cayron still figures in RVF's 2021 guide but, reading between the lines, there is a "could do better" message in view of its old vines and favourable terroir.

[David M. Bueker]

Cayron had a generational change, and an update in the cellars. It led to an inconsistent period.