Le Clos du Caillou : Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Quartz 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Les Quartz" 2023 Le Clos du Caillou

Tasting

Colour
A brilliant red hue, the wine is enhanced by delicate carmine highlights.

Nose
Elegant and beautifully intense, the bouquet reveals great complexity. It opens with aromas of black fruits and cherries, harmoniously blended with floral notes of violet and rose. As it airs, subtle touches of garrigue, spice, white pepper and liquorice emerge, along with nuances of undergrowth and mocha that enrich the whole.

Palate
The palate offers a perfect balance between concentration and finesse, carried by remarkably smooth and silky tannins. It unfolds flavours of wild berries, blueberry and liquorice, underscored by a vibrant minerality and a touch of white pepper. The finish, beautifully long, speaks to the exceptional quality of this wine.

Food and wine pairing

This wine pairs wonderfully with lamb roasted with Mediterranean herbs, braised beef, or spiced dishes such as a Moroccan tagine. It will also beautifully complement aged cheeses like an old Comté or Manchego, as well as rich vegetable dishes such as ratatouille.

Service and storage

For an optimal tasting experience of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Les Quartz" 2023, it is recommended to decant it one to two hours before serving. This wine can be enjoyed young, but also boasts remarkable aging potential, allowing it to be kept until around 2048.

The elegance and minerality of a great Rhône Valley wine

The estate

Founded in 1895 by Élie Dussaud, Le Clos du Caillou stands out as an essential reference within the Rhône Valley. Located in Courthézon, the estate experienced its modern rise in 1956 under the leadership of the Pouizin family. Today, Sylvie Vacheron heads the estate, alongside the talented winemaker Bruno Gaspard. Spanning around fifty hectares, the vineyard is notable for its pioneering commitment to the environment, having earned organic certification in 2010 and rigorously applying biodynamic principles to enhance the expression of its terroirs.

The vineyard

This Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from the "les Cassanets" plot, a terroir renowned for its sandy soils covered in rolled quartzite pebbles. This unique geological configuration, combined with a well-draining subsoil, gives the vines a distinctive minerality. The vineyard is farmed using organic and biodynamic methods, with deliberately limited yields to ensure optimal grape concentration.

The vintage

2023 stood out for its particularly favourable climatic conditions. Following beneficial spring rains, a hot, dry summer took over, promoting ideal ripening of the berries. The protective presence of the mistral wind helped maintain perfect vine health, resulting in a generous and high-quality harvest.

Winemaking and aging

For the Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Les Quartz" 2023 cuvée, the grapes are harvested by hand with careful sorting. The berries are fully destemmed before undergoing separate fermentation by grape variety in oak vats, using native yeasts. A long maceration of around 38 days is punctuated by pumping-over and punching-down. Aging takes place over 14 months: the Grenache rests mainly in demi-muids and used barrels, while the Syrah is aged exclusively in old barrels to preserve the purity of the fruit.

Grape varieties

Grenache Noir (80%)
Syrah (20%)