Le Clos du caillou: The guide for wine lovers

Today, we're going to tell you about one of our partner estates: the Clos du Caillou led by the family Vacheron since 1956. In this article, I'll tell you the story of this but also details of the finest cuvées. The a fame of Châteauneuf du Pape that every connoisseur of fine wine needs to know (and taste!).

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Estate presentation

This estate is located on sloping rolled pebbles, with sandy soils and plantations that were cultivated in the 1950s. His age still commands respect. From 1895where the clos was mainly known as a hunting reserve, we found local hunters who shared the same passion. It's thanks to engineer Elie DussandFerdinand de Lesseps' collaborator (designer of the Suez Canal and pioneer of the Panama Canal) who decided to set up the Le Bassin building to provide the town of Courthézon with water supplies for several decades. It consists of a 700-meter-deep borehole. He was so pleased with the place that he decided to build a cellar. undergrounda gallery dug into the safre rock, where the estate's wines are matured at ideal temperatures. In 1955, Paul Pouizin decided to buy an estate and move in his son Claude, aged just 20. Over the years, Claude and his wife began to work the land, even though they were much criticized in the village at the time. Over time, the vineyard has grown to 9 hectares in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation and 45 hectares in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. His hard work enabled the vines to produce prestigious cuvées 50 years later. He sold his first bottles in 1970. As for Colette, she invests herself in the sale of the tasting cellar to help people discover the local nuggets. In 1980, the first bottles were exported abroad, where they proved a great success. At the age of 61, Claude retired, leaving the estate to one of his daughters Sylvie, the youngest with her husband Jean-Denis. Vacheronson of Jean-Louis and Marie-Claire Vacheronwinemakers in Sancerre ; the couple set themselves the challenge of moving the land Sancerroises to resume the Clos du Caillou and create great wines. In 2010, the estate converted to organic farming.

 

The new era of the estate

Thanks to the hard work of Sylvie and Bruno, the estate went organic in 2010. In April 2020, Le Clos du Caillou acquired Domaine Panisse, an exceptional winegrowing estate located just 2 kilometers from Le Clos du Caillou. ResoldThe estate boasts 6.5 hectares of Châteauneuf-du-Pape on predominantly sandy terroirs. This vineyard is made up of traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape grape varieties: GrenacheSyrah, Mourvèdre, as well as old Cinsault from 1950 and some Grenache planted in 1924. They set about converting to organic and biodynamic farming. The potential of this vineyard is immense.

 

Estate wines

 

• CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Le Tradition Rouge :

The average age of the vines is 30 years. The blend is made up of 70 % of Grenache, 15 % of Mourvèdre and 15 % of Syrah. The soils are made up of sand and saffron, which come from plots of land in the "terroirs des ". Cassanets "and Bedines ". Harvesting is done by hand, with sorting in the vineyard. a the cellar. L'destemming is carried out at 100 %, followed by fermentation in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts. Visit pigeage and délestage are carried out throughout the 29-day maceration of the grapes. Aged for 14 months in tuns. The wine takes on a "red" color garnet" to Indian ink highlights. The nose is very powerful, dominated by aromas of red fruits and crushed cherries with hints of spice and liquorice. Zan with notes of pepper. Very long on the palate. It goes well with pork au caramel, pigeon stuffed in a casserole and beef tenderloin.

 

• CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Les Safres :

The average age of the vines is 65 years. The blend is made up of 75 % Grenache and 25 % Mourvèdre. It gives a yield of 25 hl/ha. The soils are composed of sand and saffron (compacted sand) on the locality  "The Bedines " giving the wine finesse and suppleness. The grapes are harvested by hand and sorted in the vineyard.destemming is done at 100 %. concrete co-fermentation by indigenous yeasts. Pumping-over and delestage are carried out throughout the grape maceration period, i.e. for 45 days. Aged in 75 % foudres and 25 % demi-muids for 14 months. The color is purplish red with hints of Indian ink. The nose is subtle and elegant, with aromas of wild blackberries, wild strawberries and wild blueberries combined with licorice and fresh tobacco. The palate is smooth and silky, with velvety tannins and mellow liqueur aromas. plums creamy, infused pears, but also jellies of currants. Goes well with a mildly spiced lamb tagine.

 

• CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Les Safres blancs :

The blend is made up of 40 % of Grenache blanc, 30 % of Grenache blanc and 30 % of Grenache blanc. Roussanne and 30 % of Clairette. The average age of the vines is 40 years. Aged in barrels for 4 months. Golden in color, with daffodil highlights, the wine is bright and limpid. The aromas are discreet and elegant: white fruits, old-fashioned apples and pears, peaches, roses, caramelized and spicy notes of cumin, black nigella, licorice stick and candied pineapple characterized by the Roussannes. The palate is as broad as it is long, with notes of honey and elderflower, jellies pineapple, but also scents of lavender and chestnut. The finish is salivating with a minerality persistent. It can accompany an oriental-style lobster with a reef veal with truffles.

 

• CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE Les Quartz :

The blend is made up of 70 % Grenache and 30 % Syrah. The yield is 21hl/ha and the average age of the vines is 58 years. Visit dress is red-blooded with mauve/brilliant highlights. Notes of strawberry jam, garriguette, wild myrtle jelly, as well as licorice and saffron. On the palate, there's great creaminess and volume, as well as silky tannins. The palate is intense with cherry aromas. blackof sabayon, red fruits and vanilla with notes of wild juniper. It symbolizes the generosity and power of rolled pebble soils. It can be matched with a roasta duck breast and mushroom tagliatelle.

 

• CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE La Réserve :

The average age of the vines is 68 years. The blend is made up of 55% of Grenache and 45 % of mourvèdre with a yield of 18 hl/ha. Breeding is carried out at 88 % in half-weights and 12 % in amphora for 14 months. The color is deep with black highlights, marked by velvet/matte nuances. The nose is fine and intense with notes of beans, tonka and cocoa, with spicy notes of Sichuan pepper, oregano and hints of woodlands box cigars. Visit unctuous on the palate, marked by aromas such as quince confitpineapple pan-friedstrawberry wood, ripe. There are also notes from garrigues such as thyme and rosemary, andn addition to notes of coffee and chocolate black. This is a wine that proves its complexity as you taste it. It goes well with poularde stuffed with liver and royal hare.

 

We hope you have enjoyed this article on the history of the company and its cuvées. You now have all the information you need to choose the cuvée that will thrill you the most. In the meantime, take a look at our other articles on our partner wineries.

> All Guides from our partner estates

 

 

Clos du Caillou official website