Matt

9.5

Mature and drinking great. Sauvage, savory, with more alluring fruit and savory complexity gaining with air. Hung meat, beef blood, clove, animal hide, stewed plum, ash, dried shiitakes, something briny in there. Loving how beautiful this rustic soul is drinking tonight — 3 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.1

2020 summer. I remember the few Luigi Pira wines I had in the past as being done but not the the type of thing to seek out. However, this basic bottling is great in 2015 - it has all the classic elements for a very fair price — 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.
— 6 years ago

AEL

9.0

So this is basically impossible to dislike. The young woman on the label has it right: grill up a steak and dig in. Those seeking finesse and subtlety, seek elsewhere - that's not what this is for. A juicy, dense, spicy, over-extracted wine (15.6% ABV). Go big or go home. — 4 years ago

Brendan Baker

9.3

Cassis, graphite, firm tannin, not at all polished (I believe this saw no new wood at all), but still elegant. I need to seek more of this out 😍 — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

I don’t hide the fact that I’m a massive fan of Brovia and their Freisa which they produce in a dry, still style is among my favorite values in all of Piedmont. The grapes for this wine come from the Villero cru and are aged exclusively in stainless steel. Production is extremely minuscule with under 1000 bottles made per year however, tracking some down is well worth the effort. The 2017 version has aromas of dark blackberries, roses, and tar while the palate is packed with strawberries, mulberries, blueberries and dried herbs. Impressive structure with mouth-drying tannins and snappy acidity leading to a long, tongue-smacking finish. Capable of aging? Yes, and probably would be an interesting one to follow over the next five to ten years. That being said, these are really meant to be consumed on the younger side while we wait for the Barolo’s to mature 😉. This bottle was paired with the “kamikaze” lasagna we got last night from Au Courant which, as it happens, was also my source for this bottle. — 6 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Rich but mineral-driven, with a nose haunted by an old Yquem. Incredibly expressive and multidimensional, with light tropical fruit, shellfish and neat salinity. Seek this out. — 4 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

8.9

Giornata Wines Luna Matta Vineyard Nebbiolo 2014: Medium body. Floral aromas. Red fruits. Cedar. Herbs. Fine tannins with a dry finish. Overall, an excellent expression of the Italian grape varietal Nebbiolo from Paso Robles, California! This is one wine you must seek out & try! Cheers🍷 — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured. Bright ruby in the glass. Fresh cherries, dried herbs and leather on the nose. Bright cherries, black tea and leather on the palate. Light and lean but impeccably polished. Definitely more on the elegant side of BdM. My first Padelletti and I’m sufficiently intrigued to seek out more. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is a young wine that I opened last weekend and enjoyed but, had to seal it up and put back into storage until tonight. It’s a touch faded (10%) but, like all young wine, resilient.

The nose reveals, ripe & candied; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, well extracted pomegranate, the blue fruits he does so well and I love in Pinot, dry cranberries, poached strawberries, raspberries, beautiful layered baking spices, medium intensity dark spices, steeped fruit tea, red fruit cola, hints of dry crushed rocks, limestone, dark, blue, purple flowers with hints of lavender.

The body is full with a fair amount of tannin presence. Nicely knitted structure, tension, length and balance for such a young Pinot. Ripe & candied; blackberries, dark cherries, plum, well extracted pomegranate, the blue fruits he does so well and I love in Pinot, dry cranberries, poached strawberries, touch of cooked rhubarb, raspberries, beautiful layered baking spices, medium intensity dark spice with shades of palate heat, steeped fruit tea, red fruit cola, saline notes, dry herbs, menthol, eucalyptus, hints of dry crushed rocks, volcanic minerals, dry & moist clay, limestone, leathery, wood staves, amazing dark, blue, purple flowers with hints of lavender. The acidity is excellent. The ripe, elegant, balanced, polished finish is delicious and persists nicely for minutes.

Paul makes beautiful expressions of Pinot, Rhône styles & Chardonnay. If you have not had them, well worth your time & investment to seek out.

Photos of; his Sierra Madre Vineyard...netted to keep the birds from eating his fruit, fruit near harvest time, my picture meeting Paul for the first time last week weekend at a “Matter of Taste” in Napa last weekend and their barrel room. — 6 years ago