2005 Le Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Reserve Rhone, France
$374.99 USD $416.99 USD
Press
Rated 100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The best bottle of this I've ever had, the 2005 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve was utter perfection on this occasion. Made from a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvèdre that was raised mostly in demi-muids, it exhibits awesome notes of blackberry, licorice, smoked herbs, graphite and tinges of minerality. Decadent, massively full-bodied and with sweet tannin, this thrilling Châteauneuf is hard to resist now, yet should continue to knock it out of the park for another decade or more. (JD)
Rated 97 points Wine Spectator
Gloriously pure, with a massive core of boysenberry and blueberry fruit that glides effortlessly over seamless but dense tannins. Plenty of additional charcoal, fruitcake, mocha and fig paste notes chime in on the back end, extending the lengthy, well-structured finish. Really stunning. Grenache and Mourvèdre. (JM)
Rated 96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
A spine-tingling bouquet offers fresh raspberry, cherry, anise, Asian spices and fresh lavender, with a sexy undercurrent of minerals. Overwhelms the palate with sweet red and dark berry preserve flavors, gaining depth and ripeness with air. Supple, sappy and crammed with juicy fruit, this needs to be served by the dose, not the glass. But there's no heaviness about it. Wild, singular and supremely alluring stuff. (JR) Inner quote mark (1/2008)
Rated 100 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The best bottle of this I've ever had, the 2005 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve was utter perfection on this occasion. Made from a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvèdre that was raised mostly in demi-muids, it exhibits awesome notes of blackberry, licorice, smoked herbs, graphite and tinges of minerality. Decadent, massively full-bodied and with sweet tannin, this thrilling Châteauneuf is hard to resist now, yet should continue to knock it out of the park for another decade or more. (JD)
Rated 97 points Wine Spectator
Gloriously pure, with a massive core of boysenberry and blueberry fruit that glides effortlessly over seamless but dense tannins. Plenty of additional charcoal, fruitcake, mocha and fig paste notes chime in on the back end, extending the lengthy, well-structured finish. Really stunning. Grenache and Mourvèdre. (JM)
Rated 96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
A spine-tingling bouquet offers fresh raspberry, cherry, anise, Asian spices and fresh lavender, with a sexy undercurrent of minerals. Overwhelms the palate with sweet red and dark berry preserve flavors, gaining depth and ripeness with air. Supple, sappy and crammed with juicy fruit, this needs to be served by the dose, not the glass. But there's no heaviness about it. Wild, singular and supremely alluring stuff. (JR) Inner quote mark (1/2008)