2013 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

With nine hectares of vines in the northern Pignan, La Guigasse, Les Bédines and Les Cassanets lieu-dits (and another 45 of Côtes-du-Rhône), this domain consistently produces some of the most elegant and aromatically expressive wines of the southern Rhône. The predominantly sandy soils in Pignan and La Guigasse are the key to the wines' graceful profile, winemaker Bruno Gaspard says, giving the wines "a distinctly elegant, perfumed style, not a masculine expression." The vineyards here have been certified (Agriculture Biologique) organic since 2010 and the vines mostly range from 30 to around 80 years of age. The wines are made from destemmed grapes and aged in combinations of demi-muids and large foudres.

Winemaker Bruno Gaspard considers 2013 "a very fresh year" because of the wines' juicy natural acidity, and added that the challenge was to take a chance on harvesting late--"or else there could be green elements in the wines because the season got off to such a slow start." He also noted that he finds plenty of elegance in the 2012s as well, "but they also have more weight and power," adding that the wines' round tannins "don't get in the way of the fruit and probably never will." Indeed, these two vintages offer pretty classic examples of the estate's extroverted, deeply fruity style. I found them easy to read, owing to their abundant red fruits and mineral character and their silky textures. I've had very good luck aging Clos du Caillou's wines over the last couple of decades, so don't underestimate their ageworthiness.