What’s in a (place) name? In wine, of course, almost everything. When the French first created their place-driven system of classifying wines, called appellation d’origine controlée (controlled designation of origin), it wasn’t conjured solely by romantic notions of terroir. This was, and is, a commercial classification - a ‘branding’ exercise. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the southern Rhône Valley, was the first French wine region to be defined and codified as an AOC. And as much as any individual château making wine within it, the place is the brand.
Le Clos de Caillou’s old-vine “Côtes-du-Rhône,” hails from a vineyard site that should actually be classified Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Due to an ill-tempered owner who wanted nothing to do with the classification and taxes involved, he chose not to have this particular parcel included and simply wanted to make wine. If you look at the top right of this map, you will see the circle which lies in the midst of classified vineyards. Although it was never labeled, it obviously should be. Their parcel shares the coveted terroir and lies within target practice of Château Rayas. This label has an ‘outer-borough’ place name with a price tag to match, but make no mistake – this is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape in everything but name, and a spectacular one at that. At $25, this is easily one of the best deals you will find from the Southern Rhône.
Whereas the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation contains about 3,200 hectares of vineyards in that village and a few of its neighboring communes, the Côtes-du-Rhône designation extends over a much broader (and by implication less prestigious) area of the southern Rhône Valley. Lots of wines labeled Côtes-du-Rhône, particularly those with village-specific designations like Vacqueyras or Gigondas, are tagged by in-the-know drinkers as ‘baby Châteauneufs,’ but Le Clos du Caillou is another story entirely. First established as a hunting lodge in the late-1800s, Le Clos du Caillou is headquartered in Courthézon, which is one of the villages within Châteauneuf AOC’s boundaries. But back in 1923, when the creators of the AOC approached Caillou’s then-owner with the intention of including the property in the designation, they were unceremoniously thrown off the property! This act of surliness, insularity – whatever it was – created what continues to be an anomalous, ‘unclassified’ chunk of land in what is otherwise some of the most prized vineyard land in the AOC. Château Rayas, the standard-bearer of great Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is only two kilometers away.
So you get the picture: you’re paying $25 for a bottle of Châteauneuf, which is essentially half of the starting price, simply because the label says Côtes-du-Rhône. Driven by 85% Grenache and grown in the pebbly, sandy soils typical of the famous appellation, this 2014 example has energy and poise, the product of a relatively balanced vintage. Whereas Châteauneuf, as well as Côtes-du-Rhône, can be plagued by an abundance of over-ripe, jammy fruit and alcoholic heat, this wine is bright and alive. Its dark crimson hue extends all the way to the rim, presaging an inviting nose of strawberry compote, kirsch liqueur, and loads of lavender and violet - the scents of the Mediterranean ‘garrigue’ so typical of wines from this area. On the palate, it is luxurious, even viscous, but there’s enough backbone there to support long-term aging. This wine will easily age a decade or more. For an ideal experience, quickly decant and serve in large Burgundy stems about cellar temperature at 55-60F. This is a wine to buy by the case so you can re-visit it (and its slam-dunk backstory) every couple of years. Your friends will be blown away when you tell them what you paid for it! For us, the first thing that comes to mind when sipping this wine is a
hearty cassoulet – here’s a great one from the great Laurence Jossel of NOPA in San Francisco.
