Regular Price $40.  Our 48 bottles are $32.99
with shipping  included on 6 bottles or more

For newcomers to the Calendal ethos, Plan de Dieu (translated = "God's Plain") is a Southern Rhone appellation created in 2005, and celebrated by insiders for its low-yielding Grenache-based wines that sit atop cold clay.  Plan de Dieu covers the villages of Camaret-sur-Aigues, Jonquières, Violes and Travaillan, extending up to the foot of the Dentilles de Montmirail, bordering Gigondas and Vacqueyras.  This ‘cold clay’ phenomenon is important in an area where hotter and hotter summers are affecting wine styles. The vines’ roots sit in a much cooler environment and produce wines with fresher acidity and even a bit lower alcohol.  It’s an appellation that lovers of an older school style of Rhone reds are loving these days and Calendal is the unequivocally most sought-after bottling produced in the Plan de Dieu. Until winemaker Philippe Cambie's death in 2021, this project was a joint venture between Cambie and the Ferran family of the iconic Domaine des Escaravailles and the production has migrated there. You'll notice a moving tribute to Philippe on both the bottle and cork on this 2022 vintage. A Calendal red is always dense, but in the most beautiful way, with beautifully articulated fruit, great freshness and palate detail. Though the palate is plush and silky, the fruit has a darker and duskier personality and is backed by plenty of structure, cool, loamy spice and plenty of zip on the finish.  There is 30% Mourvedre in the blend, after all, and that variety always adds white pepper, tobacco and bramble to the blend.  While, qualitatively, I am tempted to call the 2022 Plan de Dieu a ‘baby Chateauneuf du Pape,’ its elegance and freshness are in a class of its own.  Unique, fun and definitely age-worthy, this is a very pretty Cotes du Rhone Villages you’ll enjoy now and over the next five to ten years. 48 bottles only

Jeb Dunnuck: Made completely by Gilles Ferran of Domaine des Escaravailles, the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Villages Plan De Dieu is the usual blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvèdre that spent nine months in French oak barrels (10% new). More up-front black raspberry and darker berry fruits, peppery herbs, and violet notes define this richer, concentrated, medium to full-bodied effort, which has tons of character. This will be another beautiful wine that readers will love. Going forward, the Calendal releases will be made by Filles Ferran of Domaine des Escaravailles, but given that the wines have always been made here, I don’t expect any changes in the overall quality. 91-93+ points