Wine Advisor
Le Clos du Caillou, Chateauneuf Du Pape La Reserve 2010
View analysis
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Monumental stuff in every way, the blockbuster 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Le Clos du Caillou has put on even more richness and weight than when I tasted it on release ( and it rated 98). Inky colored, it offers up extraordinary aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, black cherry, crushed rocks, spring flowers and melted licorice to go with a full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, dense and layered profile on the palate. It needs to be tasted to be believed. Forget it for another 4-5 years, at which point it will evolve gracefully for another two decades. It’s that good. This was a massive tasting with the team at Clos du Caillou and we went through each of their cuvees going back more than a decade. While the domaine has been in the Pouizin family since 1956, with Claude Pouizin running the estate through 1996, most of the production was sold off to negociants until around 1993. In 1995, Claude’s daughter, Sylvie, married Jean-Denis Vacheron, and the couple took over running the estate. Unfortunately, Jean-Denis died in a tragic traffic accident in 2002. Today the estate is run by Sylvie, the wines are made by Bruno Gaspard and consulting advice is from Philippe Cambie. Located on the eastern edge of the appellation, in the Courthezon district, they produce up to three Chateauneufs (Les Safres, Les Quartz and the Cuvee Reserve) in any vintage. In addition, they produce a white Chateauneuf du Pape and a number of smoking Cotes du Rones, which come from vineyards bordering Chateauneuf du Pape (identical terroir, actually) and are top- quality. We started the tasting with their base Chateauneuf du Pape, which comes from Safres (sandstone) soils located around the estate. It’s always based on 50+-year-old Grenache vines (95% or higher) and is aged all in older foudre. While this cuvee is called Les Safres today, it was labeled as their traditional Chateauneuf du Pape up until 2005. Moving to the Les Quartz Cuvee, this was first made in 1999 and comes mostly from the Les Cassanets lieu-dit, yet incorporates a small amount of Syrah from Les Bedines. It’s normally a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah, with the Grenache aged in a combination of oak tanks and foudre, and the Syrah in new barrels. While the Reserve gets most of the attention, Grenache-lovers need to check out this cuvee as it always offers thrilling fruit and texture, with an exuberant, Grenache-driven style. The top release from the estate, their Reserve release was first made in 1998. It is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre (this is sometimes a split of Syrah and Mourvedre) that’s aged mostly in 1-2-and 3-year-old, 600-liter demi-muids for 18 months. Where the Les Quartz release is more exuberant and Grenache-dominated (both in style and in the blend), this cuvee, which comes from mostly sandy soils, always has more elegance and polish, as well as rock-star concentration and muscle. In addition, it performs beautifully in more difficult vintages as well. Importers: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 848-8910; Dionysos Imports, Manassas, VA; tel. (703) 392-7073; Import Wines, Middleton, WI; tel. (608) 833-8622; and Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A candidate for wine of the vintage, the blockbuster 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve is a powerful, heady effort that must possess more than 15% natural alcohol. Its inky/purple color is accompanied by notes of blackberries, roasted meats, smoked herbs, ink and incense. Rich, structured and full-bodied, it is another great example of this cuvee, which was first introduced in 1998 (a vintage that is just now becoming fully mature at age 13). Unlike the other cuvees, the Reserve comes from Grenache planted in 1930 in a well-known lieu-dit called La Guigasse, and the balance of Mourvedre and Syrah were planted in 1939 in Les Bedines. This wine is aged in a combination of new and one-year-old demi-muids (for the Mourvedre and Syrah) and concrete vats (for the Grenache). (Not yet released) This modestly sized estate of just under 25 acres in the northeastern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape has been run by Sylvie Vacheron since her husband’s tragic death in 2002. Importers: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 848-8910; Dionysos Imports, Manassas, VA; tel. (703) 392-7073; Import Wines, Middleton, WI; tel. (608) 833-8622; and Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The virtually perfect (probably Domaine du Caillou’s greatest wine since their 2001 example) 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Le Clos du Caillou is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre aged completely in 600-liter demi-muids, of which some are new. A dense purple color is accompanied by a stunning nose of lead pencil shavings, barbecue smoke, black currant jam, raspberries and blueberries. Full-bodied and exceptionally pure, powerful and elegant, this stunning wine needs 2-4 years of cellaring and should keep for 20-25. This estate, which encompasses considerable acreage, produces Cotes du Rhones and Chateauneuf du Papes. It has nearly 25 acres in the former appellation as well as a remarkable 42 acres in the actual clos (or walled vineyard) of Caillou. Part of that is only 500 meters from the Rayas vineyard. The cellars and the clos are located in the eastern/northeastern sector of the appellation. The vineyards have been biodynamically farmed since 2003, and Domaine du Caillou is one of the reference points for Chateauneuf du Pape as well as Cotes du Rhone. Much of the credit for this must go to proprietress Sylvie Vacheron, who lost her husband in a tragic traffic accident in 2001. Along with her two daughters and her assistants, Bruno Gaspard and Aude Perch as well as consulting oenologist Philippe Cambie, Sylvie continues to produce an enviable portfolio of world-class wines. The Cotes du Rhone are Provencal in style. As for the Chateauneuf du Papes, they have hit home runs with all their 2011s. Sylvie Vacheron told me that their terroir within the clos is actually one of the most precocious in Chateauneuf du Pape, and their harvest often occurs at least two weeks before some of the cooler terroirs of the appellation. That’s somewhat mind-boggling when you realize that Chateauneuf du Pape is not that large. The 2010 Cotes du Rhones are all marvelous wines. The three 2010 Chateauneuf du Papes are stunning. Readers should not forget about Domaine du Caillou’s white wines, which continue to go from strength to strength. Importers: North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 848-8910; Dionysos Imports, Manassas, VA; tel. (703) 392-7073; Import Wines, Middleton, WI; tel. (608) 833-8622; and Domaine Select Wine Estates, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799
About the Producer
Our vineyard is rich of traditional red variety, such as Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Counoise and also some white variety: Viognier, Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc, without forgetting the Grenache, native god red and white. Grounds are worked in the respect of the nature, by regular ploughing without weedkiller and without chemical produce, using only phytosanitary treatment of sulfur and copper in a lower quantity. Grapes are picked by hand and sorting at the vineyard. Grape varieties are vinified separately to respect their own character, aromas and originality. The red vinification is usually preceded by a cold maceration during few days. Pomp-over, punch-down and delestage are made during all the maceration (1 month to 40 days depending on the vintage and the cuvee). The alcoholic maceration start naturally by the wild yeast present on the grapes. We use stainless tanks for the vinification of the white and rose wine and wooden and cement tank for the vinification of the red. Red wines are then aged in foudres and in oak barrels during one year and more, in the underground cellar, built in the safres, with a natural temperature (13 to 15°C). Foudres and demi-muids composed the maturing cellar. Natural cultural practices at Le Clos du Caillou have been started with Claude Pouizin in 1950 : regular plough, organic compost. Since the early years of the vineyard, we put all our efforts to work in a natural way. Thats is why, Jean-Denis Vacheron started the organic agriculture when he arrived on the vineyard in 1996. We got the certification on 2010 vintage. To continue our philosophy, we engage in 2007 in biodynamic agriculture. It permits to produce qualitative grapes by improving the fertility of the soils. Today, it is of major importance to give back to the soils their total vitality. These practices permitted to give to our vines a new youth thanks to the use of horn-manure and silica preparations, sprayed in the vines while respecting the rythm of the cosmos and the nature cycle.
