Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Safres Blanc 2009
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Robert
Parker
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Pairs well with sweetbreads, bass fillet, and fresh salmon carpaccio.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Le Clos du Caillou's 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc, also called Les Safres, is an intriguing blend of 70% Roussanne and the rest equal parts Clairette and Grenache Blanc. This 200-case blend is aged 70% in small barrels. An outstanding, powerful white (which does not reveal a lot of oak despite its barrel aging), it offers up honeyed pineapple, pear and waxy notes intermixed with hints of marmalade, apricots and nectarines. An impressive, full-throttle white Chateauneuf du Pape with minerality as well as good acidity, it can be enjoyed over the next several years.
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—Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
From robust Côtes-du-Rhône to memorable Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clos du Caillou wines arguably represent some of the finest values in all of France. Proprietor Sylvie Vacheron and winemaker Bruno Gaspard are keeping the great work of the late Jean-Denis Vacheron alive with wines that are heady, robust and mouth-wateringly lush.
Caillou tends wonderfully old Grenache vines, some of which are 70 to 100 years old. With older Syrah and Mourvèdre added to the mix, it’s no wonder that Caillou wines are across the board impressive for their power, extract and deep minerality. The estate’s Chateauneuf terroir borders the impressive domaines of Chateau Rayas and Beaucastel.
Yet many of the Vacheron-Pouizin family's old vines are classified, by a quirk of 1923 politics, Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages. It’s why our Côtes-du-Rhône barrel selections show surprisingly like its kin in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
In 1996 Jean-Denis Vacheron took full control of the viticulture and élévage at this estate. Under his stewardship, the wines of Caillou steadily gained stature, and today are benchmarks for the appellation. He understood that temperature-controlled fermentation and a cool, clean cellar are necessary to craft wines with refinement and true complexity.