Le Clos du Caillou - Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Réserve 2011

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Powerful and complex, with fully ripe grapes and the accompanying cocoa notes, and a superbly velvety texture.

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

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.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

Delicate, powdery, and refined, yet deep and long-lasting. It’s a beautiful feat that combines juiciness with depth. A truly fine wine, showcasing a style of minerality that is very rare in this region.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve is a standout of the vintage, a brilliant wine. It offers blackcurrant, blackberry, forest floor aromas, and creamy licorice, and possesses richness and full-bodied depth in a sexy, supple style that is hard to resist. The tannins are present, yet it is polished and smooth, and should age gracefully.

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

Jancis Robinson

Vinous

Jeb Dunnuck

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.