Wine Advisor
Le Clos du Caillou, Chateauneuf Du Pape La Reserve 2023
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A refined, poised and attractive red with aromas of sweet cherries, strawberries, roasted meat, dried thyme and some dried flowers. It’s medium- to full-bodied with finely grained tannins. A juicy and charming texture on the palate, with a delicious character bringing pulpy fruit and orange undertones. Bright finish. Drink or hold.
Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing
Crafted from vines rooted in sandy soils, the 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Réserve is a compelling marriage of elegance and power. Unwinding in the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, peonies, crushed strawberries and exotic spices, it is medium- to full-bodied, round and juicy, with an enveloping core of fruit, velvety tannins and a long, lively and delicate finish. A blend of 60% Grenache Noir and 40% Mourvèdre, matured for 14 months in a mix of used barrels (40%) and large foudres, this is not the most extroverted wine in the range, but it is undoubtedly one destined for the cellar.
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.
