The remarkable proof of terroir in the Rhône valley is easily summed up when comparing Rasteau and Cairanne – neighboring villages that have recently been elevated to cru status. Using the same basic building blocks – primarily Grenache and Syrah – each village has a startlingly different expression of these varieties. The lifted and floral character of Cairanne is usually in stark contrast to the brooding, meaty and stern expression of Rasteau. Imagine our surprise to taste a Cairanne that embodies its origins so thrillingly in a cellar in Rasteau? Of course the cellar in question is that of Georges and Delphine Perrot who are pioneers of revealing a more nuanced and finessed style of Rasteau. In addition to their holdings in Rasteau, they farm a solitary 2.6 ha vineyard on the slopes of Cairanne. These 70 year old vines are mainly Grenache with about 25% Syrah. Hand harvested, and fermented and aged in concrete, La Font du Jas is about as simple and expressive as Cairanne gets.
