Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz 2020
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
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Spectator
Wine
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz comes from more rocky soils and is always one of the more expressive, Provençal, sexy wines in the lineup. Based on 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, it gives up a smorgasbord-like bouquet of blueberries, black raspberries, peppery herbs, and violets. With full-bodied richness, ripe, polished tannins, and impressive balance, it’s another fresh, elegant, yet incredibly impressive 2020. Range: (94-96)+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A terrific example of this cuvée, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz is an 80-20 blend of Grenache and Syrah, matured in used demi-muids and used barrels, respectively. Scents of crushed stone accent cherries and raspberries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is bolstered by silky tannins, ample concentration and exemplary length.
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Decanter
Juicy, rounded, relaxed and transparent. Enjoyably drinkable, approachable and compact, it feels unforced and authentic, with ripe tannins, fresh blackberry acidity and a neat, precise finish. Grown half on large pebbles, half on sand in lieu-dit Les Cassanets. Destemmed then fermented in tronconic concrete vats, then matured mostly in demi-muid and old barriques except for 7% in amphora.
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Wine Spectator
Stylish and sleek, with expressive blackberry and cassis playing out across the silky palate. Features black licorice, smoked apple wood and shaved graphite notes, which fill out the backdrop and add a savory counterpoint. Lengthy, salty-edged finish, where incense and dried herbs cruise along. Grenache and Syrah.
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—Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
From robust Côtes-du-Rhône to memorable Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clos du Caillou wines arguably represent some of the finest values in all of France. Proprietor Sylvie Vacheron and winemaker Bruno Gaspard are keeping the great work of the late Jean-Denis Vacheron alive with wines that are heady, robust and mouth-wateringly lush.
Caillou tends wonderfully old Grenache vines, some of which are 70 to 100 years old. With older Syrah and Mourvèdre added to the mix, it’s no wonder that Caillou wines are across the board impressive for their power, extract and deep minerality. The estate’s Chateauneuf terroir borders the impressive domaines of Chateau Rayas and Beaucastel.
Yet many of the Vacheron-Pouizin family's old vines are classified, by a quirk of 1923 politics, Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages. It’s why our Côtes-du-Rhône barrel selections show surprisingly like its kin in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
In 1996 Jean-Denis Vacheron took full control of the viticulture and élévage at this estate. Under his stewardship, the wines of Caillou steadily gained stature, and today are benchmarks for the appellation. He understood that temperature-controlled fermentation and a cool, clean cellar are necessary to craft wines with refinement and true complexity.