Clos du Caillou - The Bouquet of Garrigues 2020
Le Clos du Caillou is located in the town of Courthézon , in the Rhône Valley . In 1895, the Clos du Caillou was mainly a hunting reserve where the engineer Élie Dussaud decided to build a building inside called Le Bassin which would supply the town of Courthézon with water for several decades. He also created an underground cellar, dug in the form of a gallery where the estate's wines are now aged. In 1955, Paul Pouizin , winegrower in the commune of Visan, decided to buy an estate to install his son, Claude, who was then 20 years old. Claude then embarked on a long and difficult job of deforestation to plant vines there. The estate is taking shape to become a vineyard of 9 hectares in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation and 45 hectares in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. Anxious to develop marketing and continue to develop the estate, Claude Pouizin began producing his first bottles in 1970. In 1980, the successful marketing of Clos du Caillou wines in France attracted foreign importers. 61-year-old Claude Pouizin thinks about his succession. Father of three daughters, it will be Sylvie , the youngest, who will continue the work put in place. Residing then in Sancerre with her young husband Jean-Denis Vacheron , son of Jean-Louis and Marie-Claire Vacheron, winegrowers in Sancerre, the couple left Sancerre lands in 1996, for a major challenge: to take over Clos du Caillou and produce great wines. After 3 years of reconversion, the estate obtained its certification in organic farming in 2010 .
The 2020 Bouquet des Garrigues is a Grenache-dominant blend complemented by Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Counoise . The harvest is destemmed at 95% and the fermentations are carried out separately in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts. Pumping over and delestage are carried out throughout the maceration of the grapes (30 days). The aging lasts 14 months in 25-year-old casks and half-muids (50%) and concrete vats (50%) . The 2020 vintage is balanced, combining freshness and elegance.
Grapes: 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, Carignan, Counoise
