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| Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Producer website - Read about Les Cailloux
The Brunel family have been making wine in the Chateauneuf du Pape region since the 17th Century and the estate, currently under the guidance of Andre, is without doubt making some of the finest wines in the region, whether they are the entry level Cotes du Rhone or Chateauneuf du Pape, Les Cailloux. Since 1989, from a small parcel of land whose vines average over 115 years in age, he has in the finest vintages produced a separate "Cuvee du Centenaire".
André Brunel owns this well-known Chateauneuf du Pape property. He is the third generation of his family to manage the property. Fittingly, Domaine Les Cailloux takes its name from the cailloux roulés, which is the the French term for the large stones found littered all over the Chateauneuf du Pape region, and of course their vineyards.
The entire property of Domaine Les Cailloux is vast, covering well over 50 acres. Their vineyards occupy 17.3 hectares. The main grape variety they grow is Grenache. Some of their vines are among the oldest in Chateauneuf du Pape. They are close to 120 years old! The terroir is filled with loam, limestone and as we mentioned earlier, stones. They also have plantings on sandy terroir as well.
The Les Cailloux standard Chateauneuf du Pape is usually a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 12% Syrah and 3% of different grape varieties. The vines are on average 60 years of age. After harvest, about 70% of the grapes are destemmed. Following fermentation, the Grenache ages in enamel coated vats. The Syrah and Mourvedre are aged in 1 – 3 year-old small barrels. On average, the wines remain in vat or barrel for between 15 to 20 months, depending on the character and grape varietal.
The top wine of Les Cailloux is their Cuvee Centenaire, which made its debut in 1989. comes from their oldest Grenache from vines averaging over 100 years of age. About 10% Syrah and an equal portion of 10% Mourvedre are included in the blend. For this special wine, the Grenache ages for 15 to 20 months in a combination of foudres and one to three year old barrels. The other varieties age in demi muids. Not much of this is made, production hovers close to 500 cases per vintage, when the wine is produced.
Domaine de 18 hectares à Châteauneuf-du-Pape qui doit son nom à l’une des douze parcelles qui le composent, celle de Farguerol au sol typique recouvert de cailloux roulés.
C ‘est cette parcelle qui est représentée sur l’étiquette et dont on a fêté le centenaire de la plantation qui a eu lieu en 1989 en élaborant pour la première fois une cuvée spéciale du millésime 1989, la « Cuvée Centenaire », qui sera renouvelée à chaque millésime exceptionnel.
Les autres parcelles sont situées sur des types de sols presques tous caillouteux, avec des sables ocres, des argiles blanches et grises, des terres rouges et des graviers.
L’encépagement
Sur les 16 hectares qui produisent du vin rouge, 65 % sont plantées en Grenache, 20 % en Mourvèdre, 12 % en Syrah et 3 % avec les autres cépages.
Récolte, vinification et élevage
Les raisins sont vendangés très mûrs au cours du mois de septembre et octobre, ils sont éraflés à 70 %, puis foulés à 50 %. La cuvaison dure de trois à quatre semaines.
Une fois les fermentations alcooliques et malolactiques terminées, le vin est débarrassé de ses grosses lies, puis élevé sur lies fines, la majure partie en cuves émaillées, le reste en fûts de chêne, 1/3 de fûts neufs, 1/3 de fûts d’un vin, 1/3 de fûts de deux vins.
L’élevage dure de seize à vingt mois, puis les différentes cuvées sont assemblées et deux mois plus tard le vin est mis en bouteilles.
On peut commencer à le boire quelques mois après, car l’élevage long lui a apporté de la rondeur, mais on peut aussi le conserver plus de dix ans au cours desquels il évoluera lentement.
La production annuelle en rouge est d’environ 70 000 bouteilles ; la Cuvée Centenaire, lorsqu’elle est embouteillée séparément représente 6000 bouteilles (80% Grenache, 12% Mourvedre, 8% Syrah). Red Rhone Blend Read about the different grapes used to produce red and white Rhone wines
On CellarTracker, Red Rhone Blend is the term for a wine consisting of two or more of the traditional 13 Southern Rhone grape varieties. Typically it's the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre or Cinsault grapes, but can also contain the Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan or Vaccarese grapes.
A 'food' wine. Lacking pretension and intended for local consumption with local cuisine. Lacks the 'high' notes on a Bordeaux, more earthy and sharper so often a better partner to meat dishes with a sauce. France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comRhône Guide to the wines, wineries and appellations in the Rhone Valley The Rhône Valley/Le Vins de la Vallée du Rhône (Comité Interprofession des vins AOC Côtes et vallée du Rhône)
### Wine Scholar Guild's Rhône valley vintage charts & ratings ###Southern Rhône Guide to the wines, wineries and appellations in the Southern Rhone Valley
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Châteauneuf-du-Pape Appellation - Read more about Chateauneuf du Pape
Another site on this appellation
Vineyards on weinlagen-info
"As I have written many times in the past, the sweet spot for drinking Châteauneuf du Papes is usually the first 5-6 years after the vintage. Then they seem to go through an adolescent, awkward, and sometimes dormant stage, only to re-emerge around year 10-12, where the majority of wines are often fully mature. The best of them will continue to hold on to life (but rarely improving) beyond 15-20 years. It is only the exceptional Châteauneuf du Papes that will evolve for 20-25+ years, and those are indeed a rarity. However, things may be improving dramatically in terms of the longevity of Châteauneuf du Pape, although Grenache-dominated wines, the vast majority of wines produced in the appellation, are wines that do not have the polyphenol (extract and tannin) content of top Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, or Syrah-based wines. Nevertheless, the younger generation in Châteauneuf du Pape has taken seriously the farming in the vineyards. There are more organic and biodynamically run vineyards here than in any other appellation of France. The yields, which were already low, are even lower today (20-35 hectoliters per hectare), and of course, the proliferation of top luxury and/or old-vine cuvées gives a significant boost to the number of wines that will evolve past 25 or 30 years. The advantage of these wines is their broad window of drinkability." - Robert Parker
Vintage Chart 1978 to Today
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