2020 | Lucien et Andre Brunel | Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux

Crisp red apples, rhubarb, red cherries, picked rosemary stems, black olives and warm stones invigorate the senses. The palate is round and generous with concentrated cherry notes, supported by clove and black peppercorn on the finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Loaded with charming violet and cassis aromas, Brunel's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape is a concentrated blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault aged almost entirely in tank. It's medium to full-bodied and supple across the mid-palate, then shows some dusty tannins on the lingering finish. While not unapproachable now, it seems likely to improve with short-term cellaring.

• James Suckling: This traditional style Chateauneuf has a complex nose of leather, dry earth, candied orange peel and licorice. More red-berry fruit on the expansive yet delicate palate, where there’s a wonderful interplay of super-fine tannins and restrained richness through the very long, silky finish.

Producer Information

Domaine André Brunel - Les Cailloux is a wine estate located in the Rhône Valley in southern France. Best known for its Châteauneuf-du-Pape bottlings, it also produces Côtes du Rhône and IGP Vaucluse wines. The Brunel family acquired their first vineyard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the 1600s, but it wasn't until 1954 that the domaine became known as Les Cailloux. The overall domaine name has changed again to reflect expansion beyond that region, though the Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe wines are continue to be labelled most prominently as Les Cailloux. Fabrice Brunel inherited the management of Domaine les Cailloux in 2012, and today oversees 21 hectares (52 acres) of cultivated vineyard in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, as well as 40ha (100 acres) in the Côtes du Rhône winemaking zone, and 30ha (74 acres) of land that is dedicated to the production of IGP Vaucluse wines. The Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine is a blend dominated by Grenache (70 percent), with smaller quantities of Mourvèdre (17 percent), Syrah (10 percent) and Cinsaut (3 percent). The wine is made from vines that have an average age of 60 years old, and are planted in a combination of gravel, clay and limestone soils. The grapes are harvested by hand and oak is only used sparingly. Each vineyard plot is vinified separately and then blended approximately 15 to 18 months after harvest in a mix of concrete vats and barrels. Cuvée Centenaire is made in exceptional vintages from a selection of vines with an average age over 125 years. It is a 90:10 combination of Grenache and Syrah. The soils for these plots have more clay. Grenache is also the largest component in Cailloux's range of Côte du Rhône and IGP Vaucluse red wines. The white Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône wines are predominantly Roussanne with some Grenache Blanc. Le Petit Tracteur is a Vin de France for immediate drinking from vineyards in the north of Orange. It combines 40 percent Grenache with 20 each of Syrah and the interloper Merlot, hence the modest classification.

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