Le Clos du Caillou - Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz rouge 2023

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Sylvie Vacheron, recently joined by her daughter Marilou, draws on a vineyard located in the northeastern part of the appellation, part of which produces excellent Côtes-du-Rhône wines, very close to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards. These wines reach a very high level of expression, with skillfully aged, long-finishing profiles. 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 the wine:

The Syrah makes all the difference here, bringing notes of spice and dark fruit. It has good acidity and very fine, fairly full-bodied tannins, without being overly concentrated. This wine has good length and persistence, despite its relatively low concentration. A fresh and refreshing Châteauneuf, well-balanced even if it is somewhat compact.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

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

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz is another remarkable wine, bursting with aromas of peonies, lilacs, black cherries, fresh thyme, and exotic spices. Medium- to full-bodied, complex, and enveloping, it offers a deeper and more powerful mid-palate than La Réserve, framed by velvety tannins that linger into a long, penetrating, and seemingly endless finish. A blend of 80% Grenache Noir and 20% Syrah, aged entirely in large used barrels, it is the most mineral-driven wine from the Vacheron winery this year.

About the estate:

Always one of my most eagerly anticipated visits, Le Clos du Caillou continues to produce some of the finest, most consistent Châteauneufs, year after year. Marilou Vacheron and Bruno Gaspard are generally candid in their assessments of the vintages.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Le Clos du Caillou, a 53-hectare estate located in the town of Courthézon, has been certified organic since 2010. Sylvie Vacheron and her children, Marilou and Axel, who recently returned to the estate, have guided the wines toward greater finesse and depth. Along with Château de Panisse in 2020, Clos du Caillou acquired 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 acquisition.

Wine Spectator

About the wine:

The wine’s fluid maturity contrasts pleasantly with a bold, full-bodied character in this flattering expression. Notes of cherry and black plum are interwoven with hints of applewood smoke, ganache, and bacon. The savory, savory structure remains firm, enriched by red tea tannins that temper the full-bodied, velvety finish.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

An intense and alluring nose of black fruit and licorice. The palate is rich and full-bodied, with a lovely core of wild spices, licorice, and red fruit. The finely integrated tannins give this wine its structure. Already very appealing and alluring, it will only improve over the next decade.

Vinous

James Suckling

About the wine:

A bright, concentrated, and vibrant red with aromas of redcurrants, grilled meat, dry earth, and warm spices. It is full-bodied with finely grained tannins. Well-structured, with a silky mid-palate, a soft berry character, and hints of spices and dried herbs in the intense finish. Enjoy now or celller.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

Candied black cherries, roasted garrigue, spices, and notes of freshly cut flowers and rose characterize the 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz, composed of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, grown on 50% rounded pebbles and 50% sandy Safre soils in the Les Cassanets vineyard, fully destemmed and aged 80% in demi-muids and 20% in neutral barrels. It is medium-bodied to full-bodied and elegant, with ultra-fine tannins, a harmonious, complex, and elegant palate, and fine tannins. It is impeccably crafted, very clean and pure, with a lovely length on the finish.

About the estate:

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