Le Clos du Caillou - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Safres blanc 2024

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Sylvie Vacheron, recently joined by her daughter Marilou, draws on a vineyard located in the northeast of the appellation, part of which produces excellent Côtes-du-Rhône wines, very close to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape terroirs. These wines achieve a very high level of expression, with skillfully aged and long-lasting flavors. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines have joined the very select circle of the appellation's finest wines and are produced according to the nature of their terroir.

Decanter

About wine:

Full-bodied, this wine is concentrated and robust, with a fresh finish, making it a richly emotional experience. The oak is well balanced, but this is still a powerful and full-bodied white Châteauneuf. Great purity and beautiful freshness for such a powerful wine. Made from old vines planted on the sandy soils of Les Bédines, it is fermented and aged in old barrels.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Run by Sylvie Vacheron for over 20 years, alongside oenologist Bruno Gaspard, this organic estate has 54 hectares of vineyards, including 9 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 44 hectares in Côtes-du-Rhône (part of which, Le Clos, is enclosed within the Châteauneuf appellation area). The 2020 acquisition of Dom. de Panisse, with 6.5 hectares in Châteauneuf and 5 hectares in Côtes-du-Rhône, aims to establish the new generation: Axel and Marilou, Sylvie's children.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

A charming wine in the making, the 2024 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Les Safres is a blend of 40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, and 30% Clairette. It opens with aromas of spices, ripe pear, peach, and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, harmonious, and silky, it is complex and textured, enhanced by lively acidity and ending with a long, ethereal finish. Aged for four months in used barrels, it should gain complexity and refinement after 3 to 4 years in the cellar.

About the estate:

Always one of my most eagerly anticipated visits, Le Clos du Caillou continues to produce some of the finest, most consistent Châteauneuf wines, 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

About wine:

Châteauneuf Les Safres is characterized by a woody touch on the nose, quickly absorbed on the palate by its power and volume.

About the estate:

Clos du Caillou, a 53-hectare estate located 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 wines with greater finesse and depth. With the acquisition of Château de Panisse in 2020, Clos du Caillou gained an additional 6.5 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and 7.5 hectares in Côtes du Rhône. Old Cinsault vines planted in the 1950s and Grenache vines from the 1920s are also part of the lot.

Jancis Robinson

About wine:

Nose with notes of straw and apple. Beautifully fruity on the palate, supported by good freshness, lovely acidity, and wonderful maturity. A hint of saltiness mid-palate and a long, elegant, and refined finish. Concentrated, very pleasant to drink, and flavorful.

Vinous

James Suckling

About wine:

A succulent, balanced, and concentrated white wine offering aromas of stone fruit, dried herbs, pear skins, and sweet spices. The palate is medium-bodied, nicely rounded and precise, with plenty of flavor and texture in the long finish. Made from organically grown grapes. Enjoy now or cellar.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Composed of 40% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, and 30% Clairette from the sandy soils of Safre des Bédines, Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Safres Blanc 2024 was entirely destemmed and aged for four months in neutral French oak barrels. Wonderfully pure aromas of stone fruit, honeyed orange, minty herbs, and floral nuances define its bouquet. It is medium-bodied, fresh, and concentrated on the palate, with perfectly integrated acidity and an undeniable minerality on the finish. Approximately 216 cases of this brilliant white were produced, which can be enjoyed over the next 10 to 15 years. Best enjoyed between 2025 and 2040.

About the estate:

The Vacheron family, Bruno Gaspard, and consultant Philippe Cambie continue to work their magic in this modestly sized estate located on the eastern edge of Châteauneuf du Pape. They produce a host of remarkable wines, with their two flagship Châteauneuf du Pape wines, Le Quartz and La Réserve, flirting with perfection in almost every vintage.