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Château Pique Caillou

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Address: Avenue Pierre Mendes France 33700 Merignac

Telephone: +33 (0)5 56 47 37 98

E-mail: chateaupicquecaillou@wanadoo.fr

Good well made wines here at Pique Caillou. They represent good value for money, white and red. The property is run by Paulin and Isabelle Calvet.

Vineyards/Terroir: 21 hectares on poor sandy gravel planted with equal proportions of Cabernet and Merlot [45%] and 10% Cabernet Franc for the reds and 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Sémillon for the whites.

Winemaking/Elévage: 12 months in barrel for reds, one third new, 8 months for whites, 20% new.

Tasting notes:

White:
  • 2015 Pale straw; waxy; some grapefruit tones; some lees; wax on the palate; classy; pretty good effort. Tasted UGCB 7/6/16. Drink 2017-2025. 87-89+
  • 2014 Pale straw with green hints; fresh and flinity styled; emphasis on the fresh Sauvignon Blanc; some citrus elements; fresh and zippy on the palate; lacks complexity but undeniably fresh and zippy; needs to round out on the finish. [80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon]. Drink 2016-2022. Tasted UGCB 1 April, 2015. 87-88
  • 2013 Very pale straw; some honey and candy tones; quite a light style; zesty grapefruit tones on the palate with quite a bit of zap and acidity. Fresh style. Drink 2015-2020. Tasted UGCB April 2014. 86-88
  • 2012 Pale straw; gunflint and apple notes; simple palate which maybe lacks a little acid? Drink now-2018. 85 UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Pale straw; some wax and wet dog; quite full initially if lacks a bit of zip. OK 85-87 Tasted Monday April 8, 2013 at Chateau Olivier.
  • 2011 Pale straw – stronger colour than some; fullish – quite simple but ripe; lacks finesse and complexity but feels weighty enough. Drink now – 2018. 86 UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Pale grey; little cloudy sample; wax, lees and apple notes; wax too and grapefruit characters; zesty palate; real grapefruit tones and nice zip and zing. This will be good value. 88-90
  • 2010 Pale green/gold; some honey, a little passion fruit and wet wool; quite taut style on the palate and focused on the fruit. Nice palate, clean and fruit driven without being worked too much. I like this. Will fill out too. 88+ [Earlier] Pale straw; leesy, quite fresh, some wax; nice palate, candy and wax promising and a good value option I’d have thought; nice roundness and good zip. Excellent and very well made. Very good length. 90-92+/100 Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC.
  • 2009 Pale straw/gold; wax, rather simple and quite fat; broad palate with some race; quite fat and satisfying though 88+/100 [Earlier] Pale straw, grass and attractive; well developed; not over done here or dominated by the oak; palate has zip; lacks a bit of depth but will probably fill out. 88/100 [80% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon ]

Red:

  • 2015 Deepish; nice attractive fruit; purity here; no jam; thoughtful and fresh; nice palate; elegant but with depth; balanced; good density on the finish. [60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 40% new oak]. Tasted UGCB 7/4/16. Drink 2020-2028. 89-91+
  • 2014 Mid depth; fresh; blackcurrant; slightly stalky and saline; black cherry and blackcurrant tones on the palate; Ribena note; slightly hard in the middle but will flesh out I expect. Fresh, stalky style. Works OK. [55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot]. Tasted 1 April, 2015 UGC. 86-88
  • 2013 Deepish; earthy red at edge; fresh and stalky; little herbal note; soft and easy on the palate; spicy and light. Has some bounce to it. [62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot]. Drink 2018-2023. 84-86
  • 2012 Mid depth; some cherry, blackcurrant and wine gum notes; fresh; more grip and lighter styled. Earthy notes and fresh acids. Goodish if light effort. Drink now-2020. 85+ UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep colour; vibrant edge; some creamy notes; black fruits; some stalky Cabernet tones; ripe attack; grip on the palate; needs to fill out [I’m sure it will] Grippy and earthy at present. Chewy finish. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot 36% new oak 13% alc 85-87 UGC Wednesday April 10, 2013
  • 2011 Mid depth; strawberry notes along with spice and forest floor; faintest streak of green; lively palate; grippy with firm acid but not puckering finish. Overall has zap and life if lacks body. Drink 2015-2021. 86 UGC ’13 [Earlier note] Dense, dark; cherry and some oak and black cherry fruit; slightly overdone nose; lacks purity – too much oak currently; grippy, sappy palate; little too much extraction – dry palate. Will probably be OK but always will be chunky. Again whites far better than reds at this estate, as with so many in Pessac-Léognan in 2011. 85-87
  • 2010 Deep and concentrated looking; more leaf and lift; mid-weight, earthy with some blackcurrant; very good effort; lots of blackcurrants; plump with lots of fruit; very easy. Sufficient chew and grip to keep the interest – enjoyable. Great effort from this estate that makes well made wines of typicity at an affordable price. [50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon] 90 [Earlier] Deep and saturated; fresh mineral note; crushed rocks and pleasing purity here; refreshing Cabernet influence – quite unadorned but none the worse for it; real blackcurrant fruit; sweet and ripe palate, good attack and nicely balanced; has extract but also depth. Tannic finish. Should be good and good value 88-90+/100 [55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot 13.5-14 alc] Tasted 6 April 2011 UGC.
  • 2009 Rouge Dense and deep; glossy; blackcurrants, minerals, strong nose; feels quite fresh with some cream at the edge; ripe palate, mineral tones; depth and chew; tannin a bit coarse but should settle. Not bad effort. 88+/100 [Earlier] Good density of colour; fresh; fresh fruit nose with earthy undertow; ripe and sturdy with layers; some prettiness here; palate spicy and briary notes; red fruits; concentration with tannin and acid; good mouthful with grip at the end. Grippy and very good. Should be good value.  88-90/100. Tasted 31st March 2010.

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