2022 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Réserve (60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre) is deeper ruby-hued and boasts a gorgeous nose of ripe black raspberries, smoked garrigue, spring flowers, and graphite. It plays in the medium to full-bodied style of the vintage and brings beautiful richness, a layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I don't see this matching the all-time greats from this estate, but it's nevertheless a beautiful, perfumed, elegant wine that I suspect will evolve for 10-15 years if well stored.

Another strong contender for the wine of the vintage, the 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Réserve is a monument in the making. Revealing a deep, concentrated bouquet of dark cherries, violet, lilac, flowers and Indian spices, it's full-bodied, dense and deep, with structured, refined tannins and a fleshy core of rich, vibrant fruit, all leading to a long, saline finish. Deeper and more concentrated than Les Quartz, it is composed of 60% Grenache Noir and 40% Mourvèdre, handpicked on October 15th, co-fermented and matured for 14 months in large barrels.

55% Grenache, 45% Mourv èdre. Vinified in truncated tanks. Aged for 14 months in demi-muids (88%) and terracotta amphorae (12%). Certified organic and biodynamic. Cask sample. Tasted blind. The nose shows red fruits and tobacco. Raspberry and fresh red fruits on the palate. There is good freshness here and fine, elegant, structured tannins. A real vibrancy as well to the fruit and a dense finish, which has finesse and detail. An earthy meatiness just comes through on the long finish – supremely elegant and also powerful. (AC)