Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz 2018

  • 96 Decanter
  • 95 Robert
    Parker
  • 94 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 93 Wine
    Spectator
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Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz 2018  Front Bottle Shot
Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz 2018  Front Bottle Shot Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz 2018  Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2018

Size
750ML

Features
Green Wine

Your Rating

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

The region’s “galets roulés,” or large quartz river stones, are a common sight in Châteauneuf’s finest vineyards. These stones, a legacy of the former path of the Rhône River, absorb heat during the day and release it slowly overnight. This wine comes from the estate’s “clos” vineyard, which shares similar terroir and exposition as estate Châteauneuf plots.

Professional Ratings

  • 96
    This is dark, savoury, potent and concentrated. It has great vibrancy of fruit coupled with real depth of integrated structural tannins and all matched with a gently throbbing acidity. It’s very ripe but not oversweet, and the finish is very long indeed. It's very well-tailored, and expertly fashioned, a real essence of Châteauneuf - very silky in style, and clearly a very crafted expression rather than a 'natural' one - but crafted with consummate skill. Grown half on large pebbles, half on sand in lieu-dit Les Cassanets, destemmed, then fermented mostly in concrete, then matured mostly in demi-muid except for 10% in amphora. Drinking Window 2021 - 2033
  • 95

    Detailed, intricate herbal shadings mark the nose of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz, adding extra nuance to the ripe cherry and berry fruit and combining nicely with hints of warm stones and dried spices. Full-bodied and silky, it's elegant and complete, ending with a gentle wash of silky tannins and ample persistence on the finish. Not the most intense or tannic vintage, it's approachable now and should drink well for up to a decade.

  • 94

    Coming from more pebbly soils and 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz is more exuberant and Provençal, with a monster nose of red and blackberry fruits, peppery garrigue, game, candied orange, and loads of spring flower-like nuances. Slightly closed on the palate, it’s still medium to full-bodied, has solid spine of acidity, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Give bottles 2-3 years (which is rare for a 2018) and enjoy over the following decade or more. I don’t think it matches the 2001, 2007, 2009, or 2016, but it’s certainly a rock-solid vintage for this cuvee.

  • 93

    Alluring, with tea, singed sandalwood and woodspice accents leading the way for a graceful mix of dried cherry, raspberry coulis and damson plum flavors. There's a subtle mineral edge through the finish, while the fruit keeps pace. Approachable, but there's plenty for the cellar too. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2033.

Other Vintages

2021
  • 95 Decanter
  • 93 James
    Suckling
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Jeb
    Dunnuck
2020
  • 96 Jeb
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  • 95 Robert
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  • 94 Wine
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  • 94 Decanter
2019
  • 97 Robert
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  • 97 Jeb
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  • 96 Decanter
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2017
  • 96 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 95 Robert
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2015
  • 96 Wine
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  • 95 Jeb
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  • 94 James
    Suckling
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
2014
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
2012
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 91 Wine
    Spectator
2010
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
  • 95 Wine
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2009
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
2007
  • 96 Robert
    Parker
2006
  • 94 Wine
    Spectator
  • 92 Robert
    Parker
2005
  • 95 Wine
    Spectator
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
2004
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
2003
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
  • 93 Jeb
    Dunnuck
  • 90 Wine
    Enthusiast
2001
  • 99 Robert
    Parker
2000
  • 94 Robert
    Parker
1999
  • 93 Robert
    Parker
Clos du Caillou

Clos Du Caillou

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Clos Du Caillou, France
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"I recognize that I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have this job, and the privilege of tasting so many incredible wines, but certainly the efforts produced by Domaine du Caillou since 1998 rank among the most exciting I have ever tasted."
—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.

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With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.

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Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.

According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.

Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.

The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.

PDXFL657408_2018 Item# 657408

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