Ventoux

Saint Jean du Barroux

Thirty years ago the appellation of Ventoux was very much the poor relation to the Rhone. Most of the production ended up at the co-operatives and was sold at pretty much the cheapest end of the price spectrum. But over time the advantageous price of land has attracted a new generation of ambitious wine makers intent on raising the game here. Saint Jean du Barroux run by the hugely energetic Philippe Gimel is one of the pioneers of this new wave. His wines are organic, made from super low yield crops and are rich and concentrated, but also benefiting from the cooler climate of his vineyard sites on the slopes of Ventoux and the Dentelles. His attention to detail borders on the fanatical, some cuvées are destemmed only for the stems themselves to be sorted by hand to separate the genuinely ripe examples that are permitted in the fermentation vats.

The line up these days include a characterful white la Montagne (rich and mineral), an entry level soft easy drinking La Source, a mid weight spicy L' Argile, and two top of the range reds: Pierre Noir a dense brooding cuvée for the cellar and a pure Syrah - an elegant Southern Rhone wine that will remind many tasters of some fine wines much further up the valley! Visiting the passionate Gimel is always one of the treats of my wine tours.