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 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:

Syrah makes the difference here, bringing spice and black fruit flavors. Good acidity, very fine and fairly voluminous tannins, without being overly concentrated. This wine has length and persistence, despite its relatively low concentration. A fresh and purifying Châteauneuf, well-balanced even if it is fairly compact.

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:

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz 2023 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 in a long, penetrating and seemingly endless finish. A blend of 80% Grenache Noir and 20% Syrah, aged entirely in large used barrels, this is the most mineral wine from the Vacheron cellar 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 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 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.

Wine Spectator

About wine:

The fluid maturity contrasts nicely with a bold, fleshy touch in this flattering version. Cherry and black plum are sprinkled with apple wood smoke, ganache, and bacon. The salty, savory bite remains firm, enriched by red tea tannins that temper the full, velvety finish.

Jancis Robinson

About wine:

Intense and seductive nose of black fruit and licorice. The palate is rich and enveloping, with a beautiful wild core of spices, licorice, and red fruit. Finely tuned tannins give structure to this wine. Already very appealing and seductive, it will only improve over the next decade.

Vinous

James Suckling

About wine:

A bright red wine, concentrated and vibrant on the nose with notes 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 cellar.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Candied black cherries, roasted garrigue, spices, and notes of freshly cut flowers and rose characterize the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz 2023, made from 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, 50% from rolled pebbles and 50% from sandy Safre soils in the Les Cassanets vineyard, entirely 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 beautiful length on the finish.

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.