Winemaker Notes
The name Calendal comes from a Provencal poem by Frederik Mistral. A fisherman, Calendal, is deeply in love with the beautiful Estérelle. Just like the two friends’ love for the soil of Provence and its fruits – the wines.
Plan de Dieu is located between Chateauneuf and Rasteau. While it is not as famous as many of its neighbors it is a Côtes-du-Rhône Villages in its own right. Plan de Dieu is a vast plain of rocky clay soils, with most of the rocks sitting on top of the soil. It is hot, blasted hot, and Mourvedre loves the heat.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Coming from ridiculously low yields of 14 hectoliters per hectare (this is 1/3 the normal production), Philippe Cambie’s 2013 Cotes du Rhone Villages Plan de Dieu is a smashing success in the vintage. Loaded with notes of black raspberry, blackberry, caramelized cherries, spice and crushed violets, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness and depth, fantastic purity of fruit and a terrific finish that has both integrated acidity and fine tannin. Purity, finesse and elegance are the buzzwords here, and this is a beauty will drink nicely for 4-5 years, possibly longer.
Range: 90-92
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
An appellation full of some of the most delightful and particularly charming reds, Côtes du Rhône Villages includes the best villages of the greater Côtes du Rhône appellation. The possibility for an appellation promotion exists for every named village but each has to achieve and prove superior quality before an upgrade will be granted. The main ones today are Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes-de-Venise, Vinsobres, Rasteau and Cairanne.
The Gigondas appellation, while sometimes producing wines with a touch of rusticity, can often rival Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Its elevations are higher and soils richer in limestone. Vacqueyras reds are more concentrated than the more general Côtes du Rhône reds and must be at least one half comprised of Grenache by law. Beaumes de Venise also includes some excellent higher elevation spots for making snappy, fruity and spicy reds but historically the appellation’s esteem came from its fragrant, sweet and golden Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise.