Grenache 85% and Syrah 15%
Le Clos du Caillou is a wine producer located in the Rhône Valley on the border of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The estate was first founded in 1895 as a hunting reserve and was left forested until 1955 when the Pouizin family realized the land’s vineyard potential. The first bottles of Le Clos du Caillou were not traded in France until the 1970s, and in 1980 the first bottles of wine were exported. The Le Clos du Caillou vineyard includes nine hectares (22 acres) in Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself and another 45 hectares (111 acres) that fall under the Côtes du Rhône appellation. The soil is composed mainly of rolled quartz pebbles (galets) and some sandy soils over marl.
Châteauneuf du Pape Les Quartz 2012 is slightly darker in color than the Les Safres cuvée and offers more cassis, black raspberry, licorice and hints of vanilla bean. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated and impeccably balanced, it has true depth and richness, which is a rarity in the vintage.
ROBERT PARKER – 94POINTS
