2020 Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Unique 750 ml

In hindsight, the shotguns were not a great idea.

In 1936, the owners of Clos du Caillou could not have foreseen how consequential it would be to have their hunting preserve excluded from the new Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC. So when the government surveyors arrived, words were exchanged. Firearms were brandished, and the officials quickly retreated.

As a result, 86 years later, only 17% of Domaine le Clos du Caillou’s 133 vineyard acres are now Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The rest—many just a few hundred yards from legends Rayas and Pignan—produce Côtes-du-Rhônes that many consider de facto Châteauneuf-du-Papes. 

Robert Parker called Clos du Caillou a “fabulous estate” that produces “a bevy of Côtes du Rhônes that are as good as many producers’ Châteauneuf-du-Papes,” adding: “Bargain hunters should stockpile these superb Côtes du Rhônes.” 

In 2020, Clos du Caillou’s 45-year old vines produced an absolutely gorgeous, fruit-driven, pure cuvée that will please Rhône lovers and, well, pretty much anyone who loves a great red wine.  

The domaine was purchased by the Pouizin family in 1956. Patriarch Claude Pouizin knew that many of his wooded acres, covered with cumbersome quartz river rocks, were nevertheless perfect vineyard terroir. He began clearing and planting, and we’re tasting the results today. Claude’s daughter Sylvie now runs Clos de Caillou with winemaker Bruno Gaspard, and the domain has become a reference point for the region.

This is a wine we reach for when company drops in. It’s one we pop for people who think they only like California wine—or even those who think they don’t like wine. The room gets louder, and one bottle invariably leads to another. Just throw the cork away. It’s that irresistible.