Here's a tale that could only happen in France: Back in 1936, when officials arrived to survey the new Châteauneuf-du-Pape boundaries, the owner of Clos du Caillou wasn't having it. He wanted to keep his hunting preserve intact. Things got heated—apparently hunting implements entered the conversation—and the surveyors quickly piled back in the Citroën. The result? This prime estate, surrounded on all sides by legendary Châteauneuf vineyards, was left out of the appellation.

Today, that spat means less than 20% of the domaine's 54 hectares carry the Châteauneuf designation. The rest—including parcels in the same neighborhood as icons like Rayas, Cristia, and Pignan—must be labeled as Côtes du Rhône. As wine authority Harry Karis noted in his definitive Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Book, these old vines deserve to be “classified as Châteauneuf-du-Pape.”

The modern era began when the Pouizin family acquired the property in 1956. Claude Pouizin recognized that beneath the ankle-busting quartz river stones covering his land lay exceptional terroir. He cleared and planted what are now mature, biodynamically-farmed vineyards. When Claude retired in 1995, daughter Sylvie and her husband Jean-Denis Vacheron arrived from Sancerre with ambitious plans.

Vacheron's talent quickly bore fruit—earning the estate's first 100-point score for the 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Réserve du Clos du Caillou. Though tragedy struck when Jean-Denis died in 2002, Sylvie pressed on with winemaker Bruno Gaspard at her side, elevating Clos du Caillou to benchmark status. 

Concentrated and richly textured, this organically raised, older-vine wine captures the spice and silk of old-vine Grenache grown on the region's finest terroirs. Each sip reflects the native perfumes of the south—the blend of wild thyme, rosemary, and lavender that grows among the vines. The predominance of sand in the vineyards gives the wine its signature silky elegance and fine-grained texture, while aging in a combination of cement tank, stainless steel, and older foudres preserves the purity of fruit.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

• Abject Gluggability: Just watch. Try turning your back on this wine at a dinner party, or when your partner in crime thinks you’re not looking. The bottle will be left empty, spinning around the table, throwing off smoke.
  

• Châteauneuf quality at Côtes du Rhône pricing: These vines grow between Châteauneuf's famed “Les Bédines” and “Les Cassanets” climats, on identical terroir to their prestigious neighbors. At $25 per bottle by the case, it's Châteauneuf in every way but the label.
  

• Exclusive access to a legendary estate: With more than four 100-point scores since 2001, Clos du Caillou ranks among the Southern Rhône's elite. We’re first-to-market with the 2023, a special “Cuvée Unique” selection of their best old-vine barrels.
  

• Biodynamic viticulture meets masterful winemaking: Certified organic since 2010 and biodynamic since 2003, these 48-year-old vines produce concentrated, authentic wines that capture the wild herbs of Provence—the famous “garrigue” that defines the Southern Rhône.

HOW TO SERVE IT

• Prime drinking window: Delicious now through 2028. The 2023 vintage shows beautiful fruit purity with the structure to develop additional complexity over the next decade.
  

• Serve at 55-62°F in large Burgundy glasses to appreciate the wine's aromatic complexity and silky texture. Consider a 30-minute decant for a wine this young.
  

• Pair with grilled ribeye, herb-crusted rack of lamb, or duck confit. The wine's concentration and spice make it a natural match for hearty Provençal cuisine.