2020 Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

A co-fermented blend of 55% Grenache and 45% Mourvèdre, matured in demi-muids (about 10% of the volume is in amphorae this year), the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reserve is a strong candidate for perfection. Sourced from the lieux-dits of Guigasse and Pignan, the nose delivers the essence of sandy-soil Grenache, with notes of rose petals, lavender, thyme, cherries and raspberries. Full-bodied and lush, silky and long, it adds hints of toasty oak and salted licorice on the finish.

One of Châteauneuf’s great estates, Le Clos du Caillou sits down a tiny lane in the sector of Courthezon. This year, as harvest was underway, we had a larger-than-usual group crowded into the cellars for my tasting, with multiple members and generations of the family, plus the omnipresent Bruno Gaspard, who continues to shoulder the bulk of the winemaking responsibilities. Philippe Cambie served as the consultant, so the effect of his passing on December 18, 2021, remains to be seen.