Jay Kline

9.3

Enjoyed as a toast before we commenced our little version of La Paulée. This bottle of Emmanuel Brochet’s “Premier Cru” Extra Brut uses the 2020 vintage as a base with 20% of the blend coming from reserve wine. It is a blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay.

Popped and poured, the wine pours a straw color with a persistent mousse. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of apple, raspberry, white peach, some white flowers, lemon citrus, lightly toasted brioche, almond and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with high acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long with lively minerality. Super tasty stuff. Drink now through 2035. Only 12,825 bottles were made. — 3 months ago

John Van Trijp

9.9

Weekend with Friends and average wines…😎 — 6 months ago

K Brooks

9.2

Still wonderful with reheated leg of lamb, intense and flavorful ($39) — 10 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 2015 — 4 years ago

Charlie C

9.1

Bright, clean red fruit — 5 years ago

Joe Sevier

9.1

Funk on the nose but very clean on the palate. Saline with honey, lychee, and sour lemon. Easy drinking, great with cheese. — 6 years ago

with Kenneth

Georgia Conlin

9.7

Gaspard 2024… juicy apple, lemon, honey,light note of pineapple too! Medium to high acid. One of my fav chenins so far! — 4 months ago

Bobby

10

Har en behaglig syra — 5 months ago

Maya Rain

9.4

Very good! Light and fruity without too many tannins. Good for any season, nice with dinner. — 7 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Wow amazing new grower. The nephew of Emmanuel Brochet. — 3 years ago

Neal Ferry

9.0

Worked great with Spaghettini and clams — 4 years ago

with TwiLea

Zack Hall

9.4

Very good! — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

This is an insiders wine. You have study, focus and taste a lot wine to know how special this wine can drink. Especially, at its QPR.

There are a lot of people that covet SQN, Caycuse, Horsepower and No Girls. For my palate, these wines either burn the palate with ABV or choke off the fruit with way too much bacon fat and or deeply marinaded grilled meats. Yes, you are drinking expensive, flashy producers but, I would humbly disagree they are better wines than this 2011 Le Clos Du Caillou Vielles Vignes Cuvée Unique. Those other wines should aspire to be everything this 2011 shows and delivers.

This Le Clos Du Caillou has the balance the above wines lack and at a fraction of the price point. I would drink this 2011 over any of the other fore mentioned wines. While this Le Clos Du Caillou is a shade hot, it is not nearly as hot as SQN etc.. Hot ABV alcohol that burns the palate & back of the throat will forever be a fatal flaw in a wine.

The nose reveals, ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, blue & purple fruit mix, poached & back strawberries, black raspberries and both plums. Dark, sweet tarriness, dry, crushed rocks, steeped teas, anise stretching to black licorice, hint of dry herbs with bay leaf leading the way, dry brush, black, dry earth, savory, grilled meats, medium, dark spice, understated baking spices; clove, nutmeg, vanilla and a touch of clove, dark & mid red fruit cola, just a whiff of incense with candied, fresh and withering red & dark florals.

The body is rich and mid full. Tannins just 50% resolved with round, dark tarry teethiness. The structure, tension, length and balance are harmonious...just before their peak. Ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, blue & purple fruit mix, raspberries that haut the center palate on the long set, poached & back strawberries, black raspberries and both plums. Dark, sweet tarriness, dry, crushed rocks, limestone minerals, steeped teas, anise stretching to black licorice, hint of dry herbs with bay leaf leading the way, dry brush, dry black earth, dry stone wrapped in moist clay, savory, grilled meats, some bacon fat, medium, dark spice, understated baking spices; clove, nutmeg, vanilla and a touch of clove, Mix of caramel & mocha powder, dark & mid red fruit cola, just a whiff of incense with candied, fresh and withering red & dark florals. The acidity is phenomenal. The long, ripe, well balanced & textured, elegant finish is memorable and is persistent for several minutes.

Wine paired perfectly with our marinated Tri-tip.

If you are over paying for the above lesser wines mentioned above, you owe it to yourself to seek out and cellar this wine appropriately.

Photos of; Le Clos Du. Caillou, their barrel room, Owners-Sylvie Vacheron & Bruno Gaspard and one of their vineyards. It’s amazing they can grow anything in that stone soil structure.
— 7 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.4

Vintage 2010 | My last 375 ml, curious because I thought it might be too old. Instead: it is g o r g e o u s. Beautiful ripened cab franc smell, as vibrant as possible. The back label says cab franc ánd cab sauvignon. Elegant taste. This wine is from the time Frederic Brochet owned the domaine and wanted to make wines as beautiful as possible. Proof that great wines can be made in Vienne. Biological organic wine, if anyone needs proof that these wines can ripen > this is a great example. Paired with pasta and a improvisation mushroom sauce. — 4 months ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.5

Absolutely outstanding, fraises de bois, crisp, long burn. Mainly Pinot meunier — 6 months ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

16 Base Vintage. Epic. — 9 months ago

Ira Schwartz

9.2

Lots of complex aromatics that became even more expressive as the bottle warmed up. Some oxidative notes mixed with bread and flowers. In the mouth this leans to the vinous side. Acid driven which allows it to be consumed through out the meal. Just a hint of bitterness on the finish — 3 years ago

Timmer McCarthy

9.4

Louis Brochet tasting to start the day! — 5 years ago

with Laura

Robin Spitz

9.6

Huge wine...Sharp, chalky with time it becomes very rich and nutty. Fascinating stuff! — 5 years ago

Benoit Duhamel

9.4

Au Flocon de Sel. Un premier vin, blanc, pour accompagner les services de fera, ecrevisses, champignons et brochet. Tout simplement délicieux. On y denote des fruits blancs et tropicaux et un peu de miel. On retrouve un petit côté minéral, de pierres. La bouche est ronde, grasse. C’est crémeux et frais à la fois. Le bois se fait encore sentir. Longueur excellente. — 7 years ago