Le Clos du Caillou
Company: E.A.R.L Pouizin - Vacheron
Sylvie Vacheron
Clos du Caillou, Chemin Saint-Dominique 84350 Courthezon
Tel. +33 490 707 305
Direct sale: Monday - Friday 9.00-12.00 and 13.30-17.30. Saturday 9.00-12.00.
Mail: closducaillou@wanadoo.fr
Web: http://www.closducaillou.com
In
1895 the famous engineer Elie Dussaud (1821-1899) bought Le Clos. At that time
the place was covered by wood. The
purpose of the acquisition was to use the area as a hunting lodge. Before
his death four years after the purchase Dussaud built a small cellar for wine
making. He
also built the mansion which later on was rebuilt and extended today and serves as the
residence of the Vacheron family.
Elie
Dussaud also built Clos Val Seille, the beautiful castle which serves as the
mayor's office today, and if extensions today serve as cellars of Domaine Clos
Val Seilles. He also owned Chateau de Beaucastel in 1865 when phylloxera paralyzed the wine
production all over France.
When
it was time to determine the limits of the new appellation of Chateauneuf du
Pape the owner did not want to hear of such things. As
the geological experts arrived at the scene to investigate soil conditions, they
were met by a shotgun with a strong call to keep away from the domain and
therefore only 9 ha of the domain's vineyards today became a part of the appellation. If the owner
had been more intested in wine the vineyards inside the 3 km long stonewall (Le
Clos) would have been included in the appellation. The best Cotes du Rhones are
made from here.
The
start of the domain's path from a wooded hunting idyll to a domain recognized as
one of the best domains in the appellation, began when the current owner's
father Claude Pouizin acquired the property in 1955. He started clearing the
forest away and to plant
vines instead. Most
of the domain's vineyards are planted between 1955 and 1978. Winemaking and
storage took place in the ancient cellars of the late 1890s. Sales
of wines happened in the tank to negociants, but eventually became a larger part
bottled and sold from the domain. In 1980 the first export order were shipped. In 1993 the
last delivery to a
negociant took place. The sale of wines was devellopped by Claude's wife
Colette.
In
1995 - after 40 years of hard work to build a
domain - Claude Pouizin wanted
to retire. It
was only Sylvie, the youngest of his three daughters, who were interested in
taking over the
domain. She
was married the son of a wine grower in Sancerre, Jean-Denis Vacheron.
In 1996 the couple moved with their two children, the 2-year-old daughter
Marilou and the newborn son Axel to Clos du Caillou and took over the domain.
The change of
generation meant that the
property's wines got a
huge quality boost.
The wine writers especially in
America praised Vacheron's
effort, and exports to
America increased tremendously.
In March 2002 died Jean-Denis
Vacheron tragically in
a car accident and Sylvie
was left alone to take
charge.
The oenologist Philippe Cambie
began already in 2001 as an advisor of Jean-Denis Vacheron.
Another lucky alliance
was the hiring of the winemaker
at Chateau du Trignon Bruno
Gaspard, who has
been responsible for winemaking since
2002.
Both Sylvie's children
have undergone training well suited
to work at the domain. Axel has a BTS
Viticulture Oenologi from Lycée
Frédéric Bazille Agropolis in
Montpellier, and Marilou
an education from IESEG School
of Management in Lille.
Wines
Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition
2016: 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre,10% Syrah. Aged in foudres for
14 months.
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Safres
2016: 95% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre, Vaccarese and Cinsault.
From sandy soil at Lieu-dit Les
Bédines, planted between 1954 and 1972.
Maceration for 32 days. Aged in 8-10-years-old foudres for 14
months
Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz
2015: 85% Grenache, 15% Syrah.
Grenache from lieu-dit Les Cassanets with big stones
planted 1956-58.
Syrah from lieu-dit Les Bédines planted 1979.
Fermentation in wooden tanks. Ageing in demi-muids or amphoras
for 14 months
Chateauneuf du Pape La Réserve
2016: 65% Grenache, 35% Mourvedre.
Maceration for 30 days in wooden tanks. Aged for 14 months in demi-muids (88%)
or amphoras.
Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Les Safres
2017: 40% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc and 30% Clairette from the lieux-dits Les
Bédines and Pignan.
Fermented and then aged in pièces for 4 month
Cotes du Rhone Le Caillou
2016: 90% Grenache, 10% Syrah, Mourvedre and Counoise. 60+-years-old
vines.
In this vintage good "value for money".
Cotes du Rhone Le Bouquet des Garrigues
2016: 85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Carignan, Mourvedre, Cinsault.
This cuvée counts for a big part of the production as it's made from
around 30 ha at the lieux dits Codoulet and Garrigues. Vines at least 50-years-old.
Aged in
demi-muids or foudres for 14 months.
Cotes du Rhone Nature
2017: 75% Grenache, 20% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre. no sulphites
added.
Cotes du Rhone Les Quartz
2016: 85% Grenache,15% Syrah. The domain's oldes vines - more
than 60-years-old growing in the same type of soil as Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz.
Maceration for 35 days. Aged in wooden tank, foudres or demi-muids
for 14 months.
Cotes du Rhone La Réserve
2016: 75% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre.
Aged in demi-muids or amphoras for 14 months.
Cotes du Rhone Le Caillou Rosé
2017: 40% Grenache, 35% Counoise, 25% Syrah. Direct press.
Cotes du Rhone Le Caillou Blanc
2017: 45% Grenache Blanc, planted in 1951, 20% Clairette, 20% Bourboulenc,
15% Viognier.
Cotes du Rhone Blanc Le Bouquet des Garrigues
2017: 40% Clairette 30% Grenache Blanc, 20% Viognier,10%
Bourboulenc.
Cotes du Rhone Blanc La Réserve
2017: 97% Clairette, 3% Grenache Blanc.
Vinification in demi-muids (40%) or in steel tank (60%).
An apartement is for rent at the
domain
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