Le Clos du Caillou, Côtes du Rhône Blanc, Le Caillou, Southern Rhône, France, 2024

Producer Profile

The quality of the estate's wines has greatly progressed over the past couple of decades and are often recognised as one of the best in the appellation. The unsung hero in Le Clos du Caillou's portfolio is the ‘Bouquet des Garrigues’: with a feel and style of Châteauneuf du Pape, it is not a straightforward Côtes du Rhône by any means.

Sylvie Vacheron, helped by the gifted Bruno Gaspard, is producing rich and very expressive Châteauneuf du Pape cuvées. The quality of the estate's wines has greatly progressed over the past couple of decades and are often recognised as one of the best in the appellation. The unsung hero in Le Clos du Caillou's portfolio is the ‘Bouquet des Garrigues’: with a feel and style of Châteauneuf du Pape, it is not a straightforward Côtes du Rhône by any means.

Viticulture

The average age of the vines are 40 to 50 years old, with a yield of 34 hl/ha. Sandy soils and round pebbles.

Winemaking

Hand-picking with sorting in the vineyard and then in cellar. Pneumatic pressing in whole bunches. Cold settling over one night at 10°C followed by vinification in stainless steel tanks.

Tasting Note

The Caillou Blanc has a clear and bright colour, with golden highlights. On the nose, are aromas of exotic fruits such as pineapple and passion fruit, combined with more floral notes, delivering a fresh and gourmet bouquet. The palate has a nice tension and reveals a creamy texture. White-fleshed fruits and the salinity with a hint of bitterness bring a lovely freshness. A structured, fresh and digestible white Côtes-du-Rhône.

Food Matching

White fish tartare with green apples, Pan-fried shellfish with fresh herbs and lemongrass and Spaghetti alle Vongole.