Clos du Caillou - Le bouquet des Garrigues 2017
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 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 wines of the estate are now aged. In 1955, Paul Pouizin, winemaker in the town of Visan, decided to buy an estate for his son, Claude, then 20 years-old. Claude then embarks on a long and difficult work of deforestation in order to plant vines. The estate is taking shape to become a 9-hectare vineyard in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation and 45 hectares in the Côtes du Rhône appellation. With the will 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 is thinking about his succession. Father of three daughters, Sylvie, the youngest, 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, wine growers in Sancerre, the couple left the Sancerre lands in 1996, for a major challenge: to take over the Clos du Caillou and produce great wines. After 3 years of reconversion, the estate obtained its certification in organic farming in 2010.
The Bouquet des Garrigues is a blend predominantly of Grenache. The harvest is 95% destemmed and the fermentation is carried out separately in concrete vats with indigenous yeasts. Pump-over is carried out throughout the maceration period, from 28 to 32 days. Aging lasts 14 months in casks and demi-muids. The 2017 vintage produced an early and confidential harvest due to a significant phenomenon of coulure combined with a water deficit.
Grape varieties: 85% Grenache, 15% other varieties