Cote des Cailloux
Get the Dirt from winemaker Cody Mathieu
“You make wine for the lifestyle, not the money.”
What was your first vintage year? 2002
How many cases do you make per vintage? We make approximately 300 cases per year of natural wine.
Do you have a Tasting Room? We do not have a Tasting Room, but we can provide a vineyard tour by appointment.
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
The Rhone varietals in the vineyard I grew up in. I mainly got into it through my family, but I really fell in love with winemaking around 2014 when the natural wine craze started to flourish in California. We had been making wine for over a decade, but only then did the masses start to appreciate natural and low intervention wines.
What varietals do you work with?
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier. Our climate and soil allows us to grow the French varietals what we grew up with and love.
What vineyards do you source from?
We are a fully estate vineyard located in Sonoma off of Mountain Avenue in Boyes Hot Springs.
What type of oak treatment do you use?
We make wine naturally, with no additives or subtractions. We only use neutral oak barrels to help aerate the wine as needed, no oak additions.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
What is special about our vineyard is how similar the soil and climate is to the Rhone region of France, where my father Jacques, who planted the vineyard, was raised.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
A traditional Rhone would be called a Cote du Rhone, but since we are in California on the top of volcanic hill we decided to mix up the two themes and call the wine and vineyard, Cote des Cailloux (Rocky Hillside or Hill of Rocks)
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
You make wine for the lifestyle, not the money.
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
We have greater control over crop management. We can pick a row at a time when the fruit is ready. We also can have superior quality control over our natural fermentations given our size.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
I believe small lot productions are increasing in popularity, customers are looking for novelty, esoteric varietals and winemaking styles and great stories.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be?
New Zealand or Uruguay, not necessarily for the wine!
For more information about Cote des Cailloux, please visit their website or follow them on Instagram.