Le Clos du Caillou is one of the most storied and highly regarded estates in the Southern Rhône Valley. Located in the commune of Courthézon, the property has a fascinating origin story. In 1936, when the official boundaries for the prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation were being drawn, the estate's then-owner refused to let government surveyors onto his land because he wanted to keep it as his own private hunting reserve. As a result, a prime swath of world-class land was left out of what became one of the most important appellations in all of France. In 1955, the Pouizin family purchased the property, recognized the incredible potential of the terroir, and began clearing the woods to plant vines. Today, the estate is completely surrounded by Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards and sits on the exact same sandy, quartz-rich soils, making their Côtes-du-Rhône bottlings one of the absolute greatest insider secrets in the wine world. The current owners, the Vacheron family, deeply respect this unique landscape. The property has been practicing biodynamic viticulture since 2003 and achieved certified organic status in 2010. The wines from Le Clos du Caillou are Rhône blends at their most intense. Concentrated and richly textured, these organically raised wines capture the spice of older-vine Grenache as grown on the region’s finest terroirs.  This Cotes du Rhone cuvee was bottled expressly for their longtime American importer and was sourced from vines averaging 45 years of age. Created from 70% Grenache, supported by 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault, it was hand harvested and sorted, fermented on its natural yeasts and aged only in concrete tanks to keep it fresh and lovely despite the copious and deep, dark fruit that defines this overachieving CdR. The nose opens with an inviting perfume of ripe black raspberry, dark cherries and the region’s hallmark wild garrigue—the local Mediterranean herbs like lavender, thyme, and rosemary that grow alongside the vines. Strikingly fresh and lifted, it avoids heaviness,  balancing rich pomegranate and dark plum notes with a vibrant, mineral-driven acidity and incredibly fine-grained, silky tannins. This is everything we love about the Cotes du Rhone!  Plenty of flash but also the kind of fresh, savory palate that makes you want to drink the whole bottle down.  But don’t forget the lamb chops!  This wine loves lamb, especially season with plenty of rosemary, thyme and, perhaps, something a bit more exotic like cumin.