Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone ‘Bouquet de Garrigues’ 2020
The Wine
75% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, Carignan and Counoise from 50 year-old vines, yielding only 30 hl/ha. Hand-picked and hand-sorted, then natural-yeast fermented in a mix of concrete and stainless steel tanks, with 5 % whole bunches included. Cuvaison lasts 30 days with extraction via pumpover and delestage (rack and return). Matured for 14 months in 50 % old foudres (1000 L) and demi-muids (600 L) and 50 % concrete tanks.
'A very balanced vintage, offering freshness and elegance … The reds offer a lot of elegance and softness, presenting a high ageing potential. It is a wonderful balanced vintage, combining complexity and freshness .. the 2020 vintage is the outcome of a trouble-free year in the vines and a harmonious development of the grapes.'
Le Clos du Caillou
90-93 Pts Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate ‘Still maturing in a mix of foudres and wooden cuves at the time of my visit, the 2020 Cotes du Rhone Le Bouquet des Garrigues—a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the rest Cinsault, Counoise and Mourvèdre—boasts vibrant aromas of lavender and ripe red raspberries. Medium to full-bodied, smooth, silky and complex, it’s a beauty … Drink 2022-2030.’
The Details
Variety - Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvèdre
Country - France
Region - Rhone
Extra - Cork
Year - 2020
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
Le Clos du Caillou was established in 1895 by Elie Dussaud (the architect who created the Suez Canal and designed the port of Marseille). The property was mostly wooded and used as a hunting reserve. Le Clos du Caillou is a real ‘Clos’ of 17 ha surrounded by a 3 km wall and is all classified Cotes du Rhone as in 1936 when the appellation was established the inspectors were turned away by the gamekeeper of the estate bearing a gun telling them to leave. The experts were upset at the welcome and refused to classify this small yet beautiful parcel located not far from Chateau Rayas.
When the current family of owners (Claude Pouizin, succeeded by his daughter Sylvie Vacheron) bought the property in 1956 it was still largely a hunting estate and it was then that some clearing began and planting was undertaken of Cotes du Rhone within the Clos. The estate’s Châteauneuf vineyards mostly adjoin the vineyard of Le Clos du Caillou. In 2020 though the Vacheron family acquired the 13.3 hectare estate Domaine de Panisse, located just over a kilometre away in Courthézon. Here, surrounding the beautiful 19 century home lies another 6.8 hectares of prime Châteauneuf vineyard, with some vines just celebrating their 100th anniversary.
Organic viticulture began in the 1950s and the estate was certified in 2009. Now much of the estate has been farmed biodynamically for almost 20 years. The vines planted in the 1950s and 1960s now have excellent age and the children of Sylvie are in the process of taking over the running of the estate working with Bruno Gaspard who has been overseeing the winemaking since 2002. The cellars are deep and very cool and enable perfect ageing in an assortment of large foudres demi-muids and some clay amphoras for 15-18 months for the best cuvees.
