2021 l'Oratoire Saint Martin Côtes du Rhône Les P'tit Gars Rouge, Southern Rhone

Biodynamic 

This superb value wine was previously known simply as the Côtes du Rhône cuvée. It is now named Les P’tits Gars (‘the little mates’), a term that used to refer to the brothers Frédéric and François Alary around the town of Cairanne when they were boys. It’s crafted from mature vine Grenache (60%) and Syrah (20%) with the remainder made up of Mourvèdre, Counoise, Cinsault, Vaccarèse, Muscardin and Terret Noir from the Domaine’s new plantings (massale selection from Châteauneuf-du-Pape). Notwithstanding the younger vines, it’s essentially an old-vine version of the domaine’s entry-level Côtes du Rhône (P’tit Martin) with correspondingly greater depth, structure and savouriness. There was no small wood involved in the aging and the wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

Following the powerhouse vintages that preceded it, 2021 was a considerably cooler ‘northern’ vintage for the south, and this wine revels in pretty red florals, baking spices and a beautifully pure flow of small red fruits. The palate is bright and alluringly fresh, with fine tannins and brisk acidity gently holding the wine’s juicy fruit impact. It’s one of those one-bottle-is-not-enough wines.