2007 Le Clos du Caillou Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes Cuvée Unique- France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (4/6/2011)
Enjoyed this from a 375 over four hours. Mostly Grenache with small parts Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre. Deep garnet with a clear rim. This wine has a nose which can only be described as wild. Quite reductive at first. This blew off pretty quickly, and evolved to a mix of pine, cinnamon/spice and black fruit. Full bodied. The first hour, this was restrained black fruit, chewy tannins and minerals.
As this opened up, the fruit blooms in a big way. Blackberry and raspberry step forward. The fruit component is not shy, but the minerality and tannin are unyielding as well. This shows great complexity despite the low acidity and doesn’t really present a mouthfeel I would call fresh. Despite the firm tannins, I’m not sure I would cellar this as I don’t know that it would be as enjoyable without the austere components to balance the big fruit.
Very enjoyable to follow this in the glass as it breathed.
I love this wine. I recently finished the last of my 2001’s. Just starting their downslope, very delicious none-the-less. These need a few years to show their best, 2005 is drinking quite well. Quality in the bottle.
Haven’t tried this wine, but I have to say that I got tired of the North Berkeley trademark “Cuvee Unique,” in many of its forms. It usually means unfined, unfiltered, no matter what the vigneron thinks would be best for the actual wine in his barrels. Not uncommonly this results in exactly the “wild” experience you describe.
Can be exciting when young, but I didn’t love the results when old.
I went through 2005’s that are similar to your note. I have one to finish yet and I think they are at their best right now. From a quality standpoint this is easily one of my most consistent producers.
Interesting question. To jog my memory I opened a 2005 tonight. I believe there is definitely a secondary evolution as this wine (2005) shows much less exuberance than a recent 2007 and more nuance including a beautiful perfumed nose with aeration. As for the 2001, perhaps tertiary development no but certainly long lived fruit w/secondary evolution as this 2005 is showing. Can it compete with Coudelet? The Coudelet has a richer profile and is priced similarly. Different styles though. I like’m both. As for a “wild” experience, I’ve not had one.
Did this wine take the place of the CdR Villages Tres Vieilles Vignes Reserve? That was about as good a CdR as I’ve ever had. Just finished my last '01 about a year ago and still very good.
It shouldn’t have, because it’s a CdR, not a CdR Villages. Also the price on this is a good deal cheaper than the price was on the CdR Villages. Must say, I haven’t seen current vintages the CdRV TVV around recently though, and the domaine’s web site now doesn’t show the TVV on offer any more - just 3 variations of straight CdR’s. Still have a couple of the TVV 2001’s myself.
IIRC, the owner of the domaine when the 2001 TVV was made killed a few years ago, so property holdings might have changed and the Villages vineyards might n longer be part of it.
Hey Sean! Yes, that’s correct. They eliminated several cuvees when the winery changed hands and the TVV was one of them. I was just looking to see if this was the comparable wine which its apparently not.
Sean and David,
The ownership never changed. Sylvie Pouzin-Vacheron’s family has owned the Domaine for years. The wine maker (her husband of the Loire valley Vacheron) was killed in an auto accident. She hired Bruno Gaspard to take over the wine making responsibilities.