2015 Cotes du Rhone Reserve

The top Côtes du Rhône of the estate is the 2015 Côtes du Rhône Reserve, and like the Quartz, it's a match for any number of Châteauneuf du Papes. A blend of Grenache and Mourvèdre, it offers a killer perfume of black raspberries, crushed flowers, graphite and crushed rock. Silky, full-bodied, elegant, and incredibly polished, with a gorgeous texture, it’s a candidate for one of the best Côtes du Rhône made. It's a big wine, yet as with all these wines, it stays impeccably balanced and is a thrilling drink. Clos du Caillou, under the helm of the Vacheron family, with Bruno Gaspard as winemaker and Philippe Cambie as consultant, continues to release a bevy of brilliant Côtes du Rhônes and Châteauneuf du Papes. As I wrote last year, the style has shifted slightly towards the more elegant side of the spectrum and apparent with the 2015s, which at times had me wishing for slightly more density and breadth, especially with the top cuvees. Nevertheless, the wines are brilliant and the 2015 vintage as a whole is a more streamlined, elegant vintage. The 2016s appear to be a return to wines with more oomph, density, and depth, and I think are a clear step up.