Wine Advocate # 151
Feb 2004
Robert Parker 100
Drink: 2005 - 2022
As frighteningly spectacular as the 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Le Clos du Caillou was (I've drunk a half dozen or more bottles since my initial report), the 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Le Clos du Caillou is one of the most monumental wines of this appellation I have ever tasted. A legendary effort that pays homage to the last vintage the late Jean-Denis Vacheron produced, it boasts an inky/purple color in addition to a terrific perfume of creme de cassis, kirsch, acacia flowers, melted licorice, and graphite. It possesses awesome purity as well as layers of concentration, yet a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, and alcohol. Spectacularly long (the finish lasts over 60 seconds), it cuts a broad swath across the palate, yet is remarkably light on its feet. This amazing effort, a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, and 15% Syrah, is one of the strongest candidates for wine of the vintage in 2001. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2022.
Year after year, this estate continues to produce some of the finest Chateauneuf du Papes and Cotes du Rhones. Widow Sylvie Vacheron has done an excellent job carrying on the legacy of her husband, Jean-Denis Vacheron, who was killed in an automobile accident several years ago. Both vintages of Chateauneuf du Pape are performing brilliantly, with the 2006s showing even better from bottle than they did from barrel, and the 2007s are as stunning as one might expect in this historical vintage in the southern Rhone. (Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, Oct 2008)
Année après année, ce domaine continue de produire parmi les meilleurs Châteauneuf-du-Pape et Côtes du Rhône. La veuve Sylvie Vacheron a fait un travail remarquable en poursuivant l'héritage de son mari, Jean-Denis Vacheron, tué dans un accident de voiture il y a plusieurs années. Les deux millésimes du Châteauneuf-du-Pape sont superbes, avec le 2006 se révélant encore mieux en bouteille qu'en barrique et le 2007 aussi étonnant que l'on puisse l'espérer de ce millésime historique du Rhône méridional. (Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, Oct 2008)