2000 le Clos du Caillou, Chateauneuf du Pape, La Reserve

RP99 ~ 145, The Wine Advocate - Possibly the wine of the vintage is the 2000 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Le Clos du Cailloux. I tasted this wine four times from bottle, and it has blown away some tough competition. A wealth of fruit, power, and balance, amazing purity, and a sumptuous, 65-second finish are the stuff of legends. As usual, it is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, and the rest Syrah as well as miscellaneous varietals. The Mourvedre must be picked incredibly ripe as there is never any of that grape's astringency or toughness. However, being an anti-oxidant varietal, I am sure this is a sign of how much aging potential these wines possess. This is an enormous, well-delineated, superb wine. RP Feb 2003
le Clos du Caillou, Chateauneuf du Pape, La Reserve