Sylvie Vacheron manages Le Clos du Caillou with an expert hand. The vineyard was indeed once a clos, or walled plot, of 17 hectares but today the vines are planted across 53 hectares in the Côtes-du-Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellations. The terroir is of a very high quality, primarily comprising sand and galets roulés with excellent filtering properties. Sylvie Vacheron runs the vineyard and cultivates it with loving care. The soil is enriched with organic compost, the plots are tilled regularly, herbicides are avoided completely and harvesting is manual. Sylvie's determination has paid off as this is now one of the top domains in the appellation.

A great wine for keeping, this Châteauneuf-du-Pape is produced from old Grenache (95%), Mourvèdre, Vaccarèse and Cinsault vines. They are grown in sand and safre (sandstone/loam) soils and harvested by hand. After destemming, the grapes are fermented in tapered tanks with indigenous yeasts. Sylvie Vacheron then performs pump-overs and devatting throughout the (23-day) maceration, and matures her wines in wooden tuns for 17 months. This organically-certified wine reveals an intense red colour with brick highlights and a bouquet which opens out into a fragrance of black berries, sweet spices and aromatic herbs from the south. The well-structured palate is fresh, revealing roasted, cocoa and fruity aromas. This cuvée has character, and it is a good idea to wait a while before opening it, allowing its tannins to mellow over time.