2022 Clos du Caillou Côtes-du-Rhône ‘Les Quartz’

JD92-94 I loved the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Les Quartz, and this quintessential Southern Rhône is going to best many a Châteauneuf Du Pape out there. Black raspberries, black licorice, peppery garrigue, and floral notes all show in its aromatics, and it hits the palate with a full-bodied, layered, structured style. It has the firmer tannins that this terroir always yields and will benefit from just a few years in the cellar.
Estate Notes: 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. Vines grow on stony soils close to ‘Les Cassanets,’ reserved for the estate’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge ‘Les Quartz.’ Vine age 50 years, on average. Destemmed; fermented on indigenous yeasts in tank. Aged for 14 months in wood tank, older oak barrels and large cask. Unfined and unfiltered.