2023 Les Cairns

We first met Caroline Connolly and Rémy Kaneko at a small tasting in Paris and were genuinely impressed by the precision that their first vintage 2021 shows. Since then, we have followed their project with great interest. Not everyone can vinify Grenache, as the couple do so convincingly and with such sensitivity. It honestly tastes ridiculously good and the bright, light and vibrant style reminds us of the wines from Daniel Sage.

Caroline and Rémy settled in Saint-Maurice-sur-Eygues in 2021 with two hectares of vineyards near the town of Nyons. Rémy is a trained sculptor and has restored old frescoes around France. For years he was also co-owner of the wine bar Chambre Noir in Paris, but together with his American girlfriend Caroline the couple have now moved next to his parents’ olive farm to make their own wine.

The vinification takes place completely without oenological aids including sulphur. The 85-year-old vines are located on the slopes of Saint Maurice with a clayey and calcareous soil covered with “galets roulés” (large pebbles) which are typical of the region. The younger vines are 25 years old and placed directly above a terrace with the same type of soil.