Ventoux

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Varieties of interest

Terroir

• The geographical zone extends from the outskirts of Vaison-la-Romaine in the north to Apt in the south, from the Ouvèze river to the Coulon valley, encompassing 53 communes in the Vaucluse.
• The vineyard wraps around the foot of Mont Ventoux, nicknamed the Giant of Provence, which rises to 1,912 metres and dominates the entire landscape.
• The thick formation of hard Urgonian limestone, dating from the Lower Cretaceous, forms the structural backbone of the relief shaped during the mid-Miocene Alpine uplift.
• The most representative soils are undoubtedly those with a light, sandy texture rich in gravelly stones, derived from the 'safres', a Miocene sandstone-sand-marl formation known by this term in the Comtat.
• The Mistral, though present, has its most violent and cold excesses tempered by the barrier of the Dentelles de Montmirail and the foothills of Mont Ventoux, retaining only its beneficial effects as a dry wind.
• In late summer, the diurnal temperature range is greater than in the rest of the département, with cooler nights during the grape-ripening period.

• A potter's workshop and wine-storage vessels dated to 30 BCE constitute the earliest recorded evidence of viticultural activity, linked to successive Greek and then Roman presences.
• The wines of Ventoux benefited from the pontifical presence in Avignon and appeared on papal tables from 1309 to 1414, while the installation of Clement V in the comtat Venaissin is also dated to 1309.
• Notarial records, through their complant leases, attest to the presence of currently cultivated grape varieties as early as the fifteenth century, including Piquepoul noir, Bourboulenc, and Clairette.
• The controlled designation of origin Côtes du Ventoux was recognised by decree on 27 July 1973 and subsequently became the appellation Ventoux by decree on 17 October 2009.

• Red wines have a minimum natural alcoholic strength of 12% vol, compared with a minimum of 11.5% vol for white and rosé wines, which may carry the designation 'primeur' or 'nouveau'.
• On stony clay-limestone soils, red wines are rich, well-balanced, and suited to ageing, while on ochre sands and sandstones they tend to be more aromatic and generous.
• The rosé wines are distinguished by their fresh aromatic balance and a notably intense aromatic persistence.
• The white wines, currently a modest part of the appellation's output, are characterised by their aromatic complexity and a structure that allows them to be enjoyed young.

• The cooler air flow brought down at night from the altitude of Mont Ventoux, counteracting sometimes scorching daytime temperatures, promotes the synthesis of anthocyanins and the preservation of acidity in the grapes.
• This nocturnal freshness contributes to the finesse of the aromas and to the colour depth of the appellation's red wines.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 17 novembre 2023, JORF 25 novembre 2023
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Inter Rhône