LE CLOS DU CAILLOU, France
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
Le Clos du Caillou is ideally located in the commune of Courthézon. The entire estate comprises 44 hectares of Côtes du Rhône, and 9 hectares of Châteauneuf du Pape. Le Clos has the distinction of being located within the boundary of the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation yet is classified as Côtes du Rhône. Formerly a hunting reserve, the then owner in 1936 refused to have his estate classified by the official regional governing body. Thus, the Clos was not included in the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation. To this day, the Clos du Caillou remains an enclave within this world-renowned wine zone. 80% of the estate’s vines are more than 50 years old with an average yield of 28hl/ha, mostly planted on red clay soil with pebbles.