Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Réserve 2021

55% Grenache Noir, 45% Mourvèdre from 70 year-old vines in sandy soil in the lieu-dits of La Guigasse and Pignan, yielding only 19 hl/ha. Hand-picked and hand-sorted, 100% destemmed then natural-yeast co-fermented in tronconique wooden casks. Cuvaison lasts 35 days with extraction via plunging and delestage (rack and return). Matured for 14 months in 88% old demi-muids (600 L) and 12% in amphora.

‘Cherries and darker berries combine easily on the nose of the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reserve, which is its usual proportions of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre. There's an attractive note of pine resin this year as well. Medium to full-bodied, it's not as rich as in the best vintages, but it's still a great wine, concentrated and silky, with a long, lingering finish.’
95 points, The Wine Advocate, September 2023.