2007 Cairanne, Cuvée Préstige, Domaine de L'Oratoire St-Martin
A blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, the aromas here are markedly different to the 'Seigneurs', capturing characters of blueberry. The palate is more brooding, with dark cherry and black olive allied to a hint of garrigue. The tannins are remarkably fine-grained and silky, and lead through to a long, defined finish. Mourvèdre has excelled in 2007, and the Alarys have a sizeable parcel of low-yielding vines in excess of 100 years of age. Little wonder this Domaine has produced exceptional 2007s.