Le Clos du Caillou - Côtes-du-Rhône La Réserve rouge 2020
Rhône
Red
Sold individually
Drink or Keep
92-94/100
Robert Parker
-
91-93/100
Jeb Dunnuck
"Flagship of the estate
"(Jeb Dunnuck 2022) The estate's great Côtes-du-Rhône cuvée, similar to a Châteauneuf made for ageing, will be interesting to drink now on the fruit, but can be kept for twenty years or so.
Features
Estate
Clos du Caillou
Cuvée
La Réserve
Vintage
2020
Designation
Côtes du Rhône
Region
Rhône
Grape varieties
70% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre
Terroirs
Sandy soils inside Clos du Caillou
Viticulture
Certified organic
Harvest
Manual
Winemaking
100% de-stemming, followed by co-fermentation in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts, pumping over, manual punching down and delestage throughout grape maceration (43 days).
Breeding
14 months: 85% in demi-muids and 15% in barrels of more than 3 wines
Alcohol content
15%
Organic
Yes
Tasting & pairing
Eye
Chinese ink color, violet and brilliant reflections
Nose
Delicate, with aromas of liquorice, red fruit liqueur and Sichuan pepper.
Mouth
Elegant, suave, with lots of creaminess. Fine, mellow tannins, notes of sweet spices and chocolate. Very bright, dense body. Keeps for 15 years.
Serve
Decant at 16-17°C
Drink before
2035-2040
Food and wine pairing
Enjoy with saddle of lamb, suckling pig, sweetbreads, whole pigeon roasted on a spit, lentil stew with Auvergne bacon...
Clos du Caillou
Côtes du Rhône
Expert opinion
Bettane & Desseauve
Domaine rated (guide 2024) 3*Stars (High-quality production that can serve as a benchmark in its sector)
About the domain :
Sylvie Vacheron, recently joined by her daughter Marilou, relies on a vineyard in the northeast of the appellation, part of which produces excellent Côtes-du-Rhône, very close to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. These reach a very high level of expression, with skilfully elevated, long finish. Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines have joined the very select circle of the appellation's finest wines, and are declined according to the nature of their terroir.
Decanter
Rated area (2022 guide) Recommended
Guide Hachette des vins
Domaine noté (guide 2024) Award-winning wines (The wines of this producer are regularly awarded by the guide)
About the domain :
Managed by Sylvie Vacheron for over 20 years, in duo with oenologist Bruno Gaspard, this organic estate boasts 54 ha of vineyards, including 9 ha in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 44 ha in Côtes-du-Rhône (part of which, Le Clos, is enclosed within the Châteauneuf appellation area). The acquisition in 2020 of Dom. de Panisse, 6.5 ha in Châteauneuf and 5 ha in Côtes-du-Rhône, aims to install the new generation: Axel and Marilou, Sylvie's children.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Rated (guide 2022) 92-94/100 (Wonderful wine)
Domaine noté (guide 2023) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the wine:
Côtes du Rhône La Réserve 2020 has nothing to envy many a Châteauneuf. A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre, it offers scents of rose petals, black tea, black cherries and red raspberries. Full-bodied, generous and rich, it finishes long and silky.
About the domain :
Always one of my most eagerly awaited visits, Le Clos du Caillou continues to produce produce some of the finest, most consistent Châteauneuf, year after year. Marilou Vacheron and Bruno Gaspard are generally frank in their assessments of the vintages.
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Domaine rated (guide 2024) 1*Star (Stars in the making or quality winegrowers with a good level of production, you won't be disappointed when you taste the wines from these estates)
About the domain :
Clos du Caillou, a 53-hectare estate in the commune of Courthézon, has been certified organic since 2010. Sylvie Vacheron and her children, Marilou and Axel, who recently returned to the property, have developed the wines towards greater finesse and depth. With the addition of Château de Panisse in 2020, Clos du Caillou has acquired a further 6.5 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 7.5 in Côtes du Rhône. Old Cinsault vines planted in the 1950s and Grenache vines from the 1920s are also included.
Jancis Robinson
Recommended area
Vinous A. Galloni
Rated domain (guide 2023) Recommended
Jeb Dunnuck
Rated wine (guide 2022) 91-93/100
Rated domain (guide 2023) Recommended
About the wine:
A beautifully crafted Côtes du Rhône!
About the domain :
The Vacheron family, Bruno Gaspard, and consultant Philippe Cambie continue to work their magic at this modest estate on the eastern edge of Châteauneuf du Pape. They produce a host of cuvées, all of them remarkable, with their two Châteauneuf du Pape flagships, Quartz and La Réserve, flirting with perfection in just about every vintage.
Customer reviews
Customer rating
5/5
out of 2 reviews
Note and review by M. ANTHONY G. Published on 19/09/2023
A wine to be opened early. A full, complex palate with aromas of garrigue. May be kept for a few more years.
See all reviews from this customer
Note and review by M. MICHEL L. Published on 14/06/2023
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