Saint Jean du Barroux

Saint Jean du Barroux is the domaine responsible for some of the most pure expressions of wines from the Côtes du Ventoux. It is the brainchild of ex-chemist Philippe Gimel. He enlisted the help of famous geologist Claude Bourguignon to help find the perfect patch of land, and he chose the mountainous slopes of Le Barroux in Ventoux for his vines. Although he started with just a few hectares he now has 16 hectares of old-vines which are meticulously tended to - grown organically and hand harvested, everything is done to protect the land and showcase his impressive terroir which spans varying altitudes across the lower slopes of the Ventoux mountain range. At the highest altitude, on sparse, sandy soils he grows low-yielding Syrah, Grenache and Carignan among others. Philippe’s winemaking skills were honed during stints with Château Pierre-Bise in the Loire and Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. His ethos is to make wines which demonstrate absolutely the quality potential of Ventoux. He makes three distinct cuvées from the same vineyards but separates the grapes by bunch size. La Source is made from the larger, juicier bunches, L’Argile is made with smaller bunches and some stems, and La Pierre Noire is made from the smallest bunches where the fruit and a high proportion of stems create a richly powerful red. Philippe uses no oak and his wines are aged in concrete tanks to allow his fine expressions of fruit to shine through.