Winemaker Notes
This wine has a brilliant ruby color with purple reflections. On the nose there are aromas of blueberries, blackcurrant and figs associated with notes of thyme and white pepper. A structured and silky palate with notes of crushed strawberry jam, licorice and peppermint. The finish is long, elegant and persistent. This cuvée is endowed with a beautiful elegance and a great aromatic complexity.
Blend: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
From an estate in Courthézon in northeastern Châteauneuf-du- Pape comes this fragrant and elegant blend of 80% Grenache with 20% Syrah. It's medium- to full-bodied and floral- driven, with nuances of white pepper, charcuterie, and ripe boysenberry dusted with cocoa powder.
-
James Suckling
A very pure and agile Chateauneuf-du-Pape with notes of red berries, wild strawberries, stones and some peppercorns. Medium body with fine tannins and bright acidity. It has a crunchy and transparent character on the palate with a supple harmony. Great fruit and tension with a succulent finish. 80% grenache and 20% syrah. From organically grown grapes.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 80% Grenache (aged in foudre and demi-muid) and 20% Syrah (aged in demi-muid and older barriques), the 2021 Cotes du Rhone Les Quartz is a crystalline embodiment of raspberry and strawberry fruit. It's medium to full-bodied, pure, silky and succulent, with undeniable length and elegance.
—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.
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.
Typically thought of as a baby Chateâuneuf-du-Pape, the term Côtes du Rhône actually doesn’t merely apply to the flatter outskirts of the major southern Rhône appellations, it also includes the fringes of well-respected northern Rhône appellations. White wines can be produced under the appellation name, but very little is actually made.
The region offers some of the best values in France and even some first-rate and age-worthy reds. Red wine varieties include most of the Chateâuneuf-du-Pape varieties like Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Counoise, as well as Carignan. White grapes grown include Grenache blanc, Roussanne and Viognier, among others.