Le Clos du Caillou

Le Clos du Caillou is a wine producer located in the Rhône Valley on the border of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The estate was first founded in 1895 as a hunting reserve and was left forested until 1955 when the Pouizin family realized the land's vineyard potential. The first bottles of Le Clos du Caillou were not traded in France until the 1970s, and in 1980 the first bottles of wine were exported. Now the wines of Le Clos du Caillou are exported around the world.

The Le Clos du Caillou vineyard includes 9 hectares (22 acres) in Châteauneuf-du-Pape itself and another 45ha (111 acres) that falls under the Côtes du Rhône appellation. The soil is composed mainly of rolled Quartz pebbles (galets) and some sandy soils over marl. In Châteauneuf-du-Pape tradition, the vineyard is planted to many varieties including the red Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Counoise and white Viognier, Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Grenache Blanc.

The grape varieties at Le Clos du Caillou are handpicked, sorted at the vineyard, and undergo fermentation naturally without the use of added yeasts. Stainless steel tanks are utilized for the white and rosé winemaking process, and the red wines are vinified in cement and wooden tanks. Red wines are aged in foudres and oak barrels for at least a year before being bottled.