# Domaine Brusset Cairanne Les Travers (2024)

- **Producer:** Domaine Brusset
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah
- **Region:** Rhône, France
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €15
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 15–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, blackcurrant, blackberry, black pepper, liquorice, vanilla, cedar, toast

## About this wine

Domaine Brusset was founded in 1947 by André Brusset in the heart of Cairanne. As an early pioneer in the Southern Rhône, André chose to bottle and market his own wines at a time when most growers sold their grapes to local cooperatives. Today, the estate is managed by his grandson, Laurent Brusset, representing the fourth generation of winemakers. Laurent has been a key figure in the region, serving as the president of the Cairanne Growers' Association and playing an instrumental role in elevating Cairanne to full Cru status in 2016. The 'Les Travers' cuvée is the estate's signature red, reflecting the unique terroir of terraced alluvial slopes covered with heat-retaining stones.

## Interesting facts

- Founded in 1947, Domaine Brusset was one of the first in Cairanne to bottle and sell its own wines rather than selling to cooperatives.
- Winemaker Laurent Brusset was highly instrumental in the decades-long push to elevate Cairanne to full Cru status in 2016.
- The wine is named 'Les Travers' after the terraced alluvial slopes where the vines grow, covered in heat-retaining rounded stones.

## Food pairing

This Southern Rhône blend thrives alongside rich, savory dishes. The wine's medium-plus acidity and silky tannins cut through the fat of roasted meats like lamb and duck, while its peppery, dark fruit profile beautifully complements dishes seasoned with Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, and lavender.

## Wine making process

The winemaking process for Les Travers is designed to respect the fruit and the terroir. Grapes are 100% hand-picked and fully destemmed upon arrival at the winery. Each grape variety is fermented separately in temperature-controlled vats for approximately 20 days, utilizing only native yeasts to encourage spontaneous fermentation. Following fermentation, the wine is aged for 10 months. To balance freshness and structure, 70% of the blend is matured in concrete and stainless steel vats, preserving the vibrant primary fruit characteristics, while the remaining 30% is aged in three- to four-year-old French oak barrels to gently polish the tannins without adding heavy oak flavors.