Walls: Chasing freshness in Ventoux

In a warming climate, there is one characteristic in wine that is increasingly coveted: freshness. This is why Ventoux, once a marginal climate for quality wines, finds itself in an increasingly strong position.

Although most of the appellation’s vineyards are at the foot of the mountain, vines are climbing ever upwards, and have now reached 550m above sea level. With Mont Ventoux’s summit at 1,912m, they’ve got plenty of room to grow.

I tasted 56 wines in ascending elevation to see when the freshness of altitude becomes discernible. I was expecting a clear correlation between height and freshness; the reality, however, is more complex.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for top picks from Ventoux

Benefits of altitude

For wines to feel fresh, they need an adequate level of acidity. Tartaric acid can be purchased and added to the fermenting juice; but ‘freshness’ is something money can’t buy. It’s a combination of factors, including acidity, vibrant aromatics, crisp tannic structures and refreshing drinkability.

All of these attributes can come from growing wines at higher altitudes. In short, ‘higher means cooler,’ according to Philippe Gimel of Saint Jean du Barroux. ‘It means fresher conditions, more acidity, and all the benefits given by the acidity to the wines.’

Gimel isn’t the only one to have wines in the fortified village of Le Barroux – the monks of the local abbey also make wine under the name Via Caritatis (‘the way of charity’). Father Odon is in charge of the vineyards, and he says the diurnal temperature differences from growing wines at altitude are highly beneficial.

‘The harvest in the Via Caritatis vineyards is two or three weeks later compared to the vineyards of the plains located only a few kilometres away,’ he says. ‘The altitude, and in particular the alternation of hot days and cool nights with late harvests ‘à la cool’ – that is to say with cold temperatures – bring elegance and finesse.’

Corinna Faravel of Domaine Martinelle adds that altitude can also mean slightly lower alcohol levels, and ‘fresher, less cooked aromas’.

The sweet spot

Ventoux is one of the biggest appellations in France with nearly 6,000 hectares under vine, and vineyards stretch from 100m above sea level up to 550m; not all Ventoux wines are grown at altitude. Some winemakers, like Faravel, believe that the effects of altitude are felt gradually as you ascend the mountain. ‘Every metre is beneficial,’ she says.

Others feel there’s a specific point at which the benefits kick in. Albin Combe of Domaine Vindemio says: ‘Below 300m the climate is essentially the same regardless of the altitude. Above 300m the thermometer drops a few degrees and this changes the entire climate in small steps. A little more freshness and a little more water.’

‘Be careful though,’ he adds, ‘you must take into account the type of soil, which has just as much impact as the altitude.’ And this is where things get complicated.

A complex picture

Sensations of freshness in a wine don’t just come from altitude. As Combe points out, soil plays a role: limestone typically creates a fresher profile than clay. Choice of grape varieties matters too.

Picking dates also affect acidity and flavour profiles. And then there’s winemaking – withholding malolactic conversion in whites, for example. Most of all, the direction the vineyard faces has an impact – a north-facing plot at 300m might produce fresher wines that a south-facing plot at 500m.

And even if a vineyard is located high in the hills, the freshening effect can be dulled by over-extraction, unbalanced alcohol or heavy-handed barrel ageing. While there is some correlation between freshness and altitude, whether you feel it in the resulting wine is far from guaranteed.

The reds

I tasted 41 reds in four altitude bands: 100-200m, 200-300m, 300-400m, and 400-500m.

100m to 200m: These wines often had good definition, clarity of flavour and well-balanced acidity, but they were more about succulent berry fruits than freshness. Though it was harder to ascertain a consistent Ventoux character, there were some very good individual wines.

200m to 300m: A step up in terms of freshness and sense of place. These felt more classically Ventoux in their acidity, edgy tannin structure and brightness of fruit. Some lovely wines, and often very affordable.

300m to 400m: The strongest performing segment, even if some 2021s tasted like they struggled to ripen at this altitude, while lower down the mountain this effect was less marked. The expression of Syrah at this level is unusually fresh and spicy for the Southern Rhône.

400m to 500m: Some strong individual wines, but others lacking the effects of altitude due to excessive ripeness or oak. Despite the strong house styles of some of the best wines, they nonetheless offered a good sense of freshness.

The whites

I tasted the whites in the same four altitude bands, but at just 15 wines it’s harder to generalise about the effects of altitude. There were wines with freshness at all levels, again particularly at the 300-400m band.

Even whites from the 2022 vintage, which can be a little heavy in the Southern Rhône, are relatively vibrant and drinkable in Ventoux. Clairette performs particularly well here, producing wines of admirable brightness and compelling fragrance.

The whites were more consistent than the reds; 80% of the whites scored over 90-points, while only 50% of the reds scored over 90.

In both colours, there are plenty of wines from Ventoux that exhibit a ‘southern freshness’ in the words of Faravel – wines that combine the fullness and generosity of the Southern Rhône with an enlivening drinkability. It’s not guaranteed, nor is it always derived from altitude alone, but elevated vineyards appear to be a factor.

‘In this world, which is changing so profoundly, the relief and altitude of [our] vineyards give hope,’ says Faravel. ‘Some historic Great Terroirs are particularly exposed; and others, sometimes less known, can offer new perspectives.’

This tasting showed that the best wines of Ventoux now exhibit cru-level quality. And with plenty of scope to plant higher up, Ventoux is surely the most future-proof appellation in the Rhône. Good news for local winemakers, and for us.

Fresh Ventoux wines

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