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Top Ventoux wines: Unsung hero of the Rhône

With its mountain vineyards and long winemaking history, this large appellation is now home to experimental producers who are leading a Rhône revolution. Matt Walls takes us on a tour...

At the end of a meal with wine-loving friends, do you ever play that game? You know: ‘If you could make wine anywhere in the world, where would it be?’ Of course you do. We all do. My answer (well my current answer) is Ventoux.

I would choose this mountainous area 30km to the east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape for a multitude of reasons. For a start, land is some of the cheapest in the region. The wines of Ventoux are identifiably Rhône in style, but with a distinctive lifted freshness. You can successfully make red, white or rosé.

You can experiment here – it’s not so well known that you’d feel yourself forced into making a ‘classic’ style for fear of being unable to sell it. And there are pockets of outstanding terroir ripe for discovery.

Top Ventoux wines to try

 

 


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