2021 Domaine de Galuval "La Vallee" Cairanne Blanc

Staff Reviews

KM

Keith Mabry

Keith Mabry

K&L Buyer

Review Date: 02/2025

White Rhones are just getting their due. This beautiful oily, mineral driven white comes from a region more famous for its reds - Cairanne. With lots of south facing slopes, the potential for powerful wines had driven this region forward but it is nice to see the whites starting to emerge and gain more attention. The "Vallee" is a plush white showing aromas of peach cobbler, Meyer lemon peel and roasted apples. Some wood tones add more texture but the fruit integrates seamlessly when given a little breathing room. We are just starting to scratch the potential of great whites from this region, and this is a great place to start!

Notes

Residing between the two Cru appellations of Cairanne and Rasteau, Domaine Galuval was established in 1923 by the Marchal family and was an early estate that bottled its own wines, rare in that region for the many decades following. Long established in both appellations they have 49 hectares of holdings in some of the best terroir in both Cairanne and Rasteau, including the sites of la Montagne, the Grayere Valley and la Colline (the hills) des Rasteau. The Vallee is a blend o 45% Roussanne, 45% Grenache Blanc and 10% Clairette. About 60% of the blend is fermented and aged in wood, the other 40% is done all in stainless steel tank. The wines are blended after about 11 months, blended and then bottled.