Cailloux

[Amit Bolds]

Learneverything about Andre Brunel Les Cailloux, Chateauneuf du Pape with wine tasting notes, wine, and food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property, and information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important wineries and winemakers from the Rhone valley: Links to all Rhone Valley Wine Producer Profiles

Andre Brunel owns Les Cailloux, a popular and well-known Chateauneuf du Pape property. He is the third generation of his family to manage the Southern Rhone Valley estate. Fittingly, Domaine Les Cailloux takes its name from the cailloux roules, which is the French term for the large stones found littered all over the Chateauneuf du Pape region, and of course, makes up an important component of their terroir.

The first vintage for Les Cailloux was 1950, which remained in the barrel for almost 4 before it was finally bottled and shipped in 1954. Not much wine was made, so it is quite difficult to find these days. The entire production of their debut vintage was at best, 250 cases.

Andre Brunel took over the estate in 1971. His son, Fabrice Brunel is the next member of the family that began to manage the estate. Sadly, Andre Brunel passed away, on February 8, 2022. Fabrice Brunel is fully in charge of the property today.

Les Cailloux owns 21 hectares of vines. 19 hectares are devoted to red wine production and 2 hectares are used to make white Chateauneuf du Pape wine. The main grape variety they grow is Grenache. 70% of their vines are planted to Grenache followed by 17% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, and 3% Cinsault.

For the production of their white wine, the vineyard is planted to 85% Roussanne and 15% Grenache Blanc. All vineyard practices include sustainable farming techniques. Many of their best parcels are located not far from Mont Redon.

Andre Brunel Les Cailloux Chateauneuf du Pape is usually a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah, and 3% of different grape varieties. Over the years, there has been a slow, but steady increase in the amount of Mourvedre added to the blend.

Andre Brunel Les Cailloux Cuvee Centenaire made its debut in 1989. Because 1889 was the first year their vines were planted in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, to celebrate the 100th anniversary, and as you might guess, this is where the inspiration to produce and name the wine came from.

Between 60% to 80% of the grapes are destemmed. For this special wine, the Grenache ages for 15 to 20 months in a combination of foudres and one to three-year-old barrels. The Syrah and Mourvedre are aged in demi-muids.

Not much of this special wine is made. The average annual production hovers close to 500 cases per vintage when the wine is produced. Les Cailloux Cuvee Centenaire is not produced in every vintage. The wine is only made in the best years.

Andre Brunel Cuvee Reservee Chateauneuf du Pape is the newest addition to their lineup of wine. The wine is a blend of young vine Grenache and purchased Syrah grapes. Andre Brunel uses this as a negociant wine. This is a nice, well-priced, Chateauneuf value wine that drinks well on release.

Andre Brunel Les Cailloux can be enjoyed on the young side. Young vintages can be decanted for between 1-2 hours. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Andre Brunel Les Cailloux is usually better with 3-7 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. In the best vintages, the wine should be consumed within 5-22 years after the vintage.

Andre Brunel Les Cailloux is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed dishes, sausage, barbecue, and cassoulet. Andre Brunel Les Cailloux is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and cheese.

The white wine of Andre Brunel Les Cailloux is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork, and veal, as well as Asian cuisine and a diverse array of hard and soft cheese.

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