Le Clos du Caillou Chateauneuf du Pape les Quartz 2016 (750ML)

98 JD / 97 WA / 96 VM / 94 WS / 94 DE

#33 Jeb Dunnuck Top 50 Reds of 2018

One of the best vintages ever for this cuvée, the 2016 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Quartz boasts knockout aromas of cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with loads of garrigue, ground pepper, earth, and licorice. It’s full-bodied and powerful, while staying light, weightless, and flawlessly balanced on the palate. It will probably merit a trip digit rating in 4-5 years and should evolve for over two decades. Jeb Dunnuck

Full-bodied, rich, concentrated and velvety, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Quartz is a complete thoroughbred. A blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah, it offers up stunning aromas of crushed stones, tea roses, black cherries and licorice. A powerhouse, loaded with extract, it finishes long and intense, picking up hints of chocolate and star anise. It appears capable of evolving for a couple of stunning decades. Joe Czerwinski – The Wine Advocate

Lurid ruby. A complex, hugely perfumed bouquet evokes red and blue fruit preserves, exotic spices, incense and floral oils, along with a vibrant mineral quality that builds steadily as the wine opens up. Alluringly sweet, seamless and broad on the palate, offering densely packed yet lithe raspberry, boysenberry and spicecake flavors that show remarkable clarity and back-end power. The mineral and floral components drive an extremely long, sweet finish that's given shape by smooth, well-knit tannins. The interplay of power and finesse here is awfully impressive. This wine, along with its Le Réserve sibling, is a standout in what has turned out to be a monumental vintage for the region. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

Bright and fresh, with a tasty core of raspberry and boysenberry coulis flavors lined with subtle anise and black tea notes. Shows a flash of apple wood on the finish, revealing latent depth and sneaky length. Offers a lovely feel throughout. Drink now through 2032. 910 cases made - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

Strawberry, blueberry and black cherry here. Lusher in fruit and denser in tannin than their Safres. It has bright acidity and vibrant freshness, with a detailed, silky and seamless quality on the palate. A very harmonious and seductive wine, with the bright, polished, glassy Clos du Caillou style. A long, tapered finish. - Decanter