CÔTE DES CAILLOUX

Glen Ellen, Sonoma

Côte des Cailloux is an organic vineyard in Sonoma, that has been growing Rhone varietals since 1996. The winemaker Jacques Mathieu, is a french ex-pat that had a very successful career as an architect while developing his vineyard. He has since retired to his home in Sonoma, on the outskirts of Glen Ellen, where he is constructing a beautiful compound by hand. Côte de Cailloux is a family run project with Jacques son Cody helping out.

Jacques makes concentrated, elegant and serious wines at the Coturri vineyard in Glen Ellen. His vineyard of mixed Rhone varietals is planted on volcanic bedrock with almost no topsoil. The careful positioning of the vines around the hill takes advantage of the varied exposures and allows the disparate grape varieties to ripen at roughly the same time. Jacques makes a small amount of a white Rhone blend with grapes sourced from Mendocino for the “Mathieu” label.