1998 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve

One of the top wines in the vintage today, the 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve le Clos du Caillou tastes more like a mature Bordeaux than a Chateauneuf du Pape. Giving up lots of graphite, smoked meats, olive, tobacco and dark fruits, this beauty is full-bodied, concentrated and textured, with building tannin, yet possesses the hallmark elegance and purity of the estate. The first vintage from this cuvee and coming from 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre, it will continue to drink beautifully through 2023+.

Full deep ruby-red. Liqueur-like aroma of plum, raspberry, black cherry and game; faintly porty but vibrant. Thick and supersweet, with deep meat and leather notes lifted by a violety nuance. As lush and seamless as this is, there also excellent definition of flavor. Finishes with firm, ripe tannins and excellent persistence. Vacheron says the tannins are tougher today than they were two months ago, but they seem fine enough to me. This went through its malolactic fermentation and subsequent aging in a new foudre