Wine Advisor
Le Clos du Caillou, Chateauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep magenta. Heady, finely detailed aromas of mineral-tinged red/blue fruit preserves, incense and garrigue are complemented by a suave floral topnote. Alluringly sweet and seamless on the palate, offering impressively concentrated raspberry, boysenberry, spicecake and candied licorice flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Finishes with outstanding clarity, polished tannins and floral-driven persistence, leaving an exotic hint of five-spice powder behind.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Black cherries and dark chocolate swirl together on the nose of the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz, which somehow manages to retain a mouthwatering sense of freshness on the finish despite the massive ripeness. Full-bodied, richly velvety in feel and expansive in the mouth, this is an impressive effort that's sure to please when young.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
This cuvée has firmed up considerably since I last tasted it, and it now appears as if it will demand a bit of cellaring to be at its best. Still a fine effort, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz easily mixes black cherries and red raspberries on a seductive nose, but it's a full-bodied, muscular wine, with ample richness, a velvety mouthfeel and perhaps a touch of warmth on the lingering finish. Try it after 2025.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep magenta. Heady, finely detailed aromas of mineral-tinged red/blue fruit preserves, incense and garrigue are complemented by a suave floral topnote. Alluringly sweet and seamless on the palate, offering impressively concentrated raspberry, boysenberry, spicecake and candied licorice flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Finishes with outstanding clarity, polished tannins and floral-driven persistence, leaving an exotic hint of five-spice powder behind.
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.
