Saint Jean du Barroux
We are also delighted that another shipment of wines from the talented Philippe Gimel of Saint Jean du Barroux has arrived in our warehouse. And the good news is that he is now producing a wider range of red wines and selling them at very reasonable prices considering the quality of his offerings and the very low yields he works with on his north facing vineyards.
These wines have caused a lot of excitement in France, Denmark, Holland and the United States where they are eagerly snapped up as soon as they are released.
The front label from the white wine shows the beautiful Dentilles du Montmiral (on the right of the label) that form a backdrop to his beautiful vineyard, the nearby village of Le Barroux in the centre and Mont Ventoux on the left.
The vines grow on the lower slopes of the famous Mont Ventoux near the road between Le Barroux and the Roman town of Vaison la Romaine.
One of the reasons people are sitting up and taking notice of Philippe’s wines is the incredibly low yields that he takes from the vines. Whereas most producers in this area produce some 50 hectolitres for each hectare of vines, Philippe’s yields are down around 20! This means that the fruit flavour is much more concentrated – and this is certainly reflected in the wines.
Robert Parker called his red wine “a gorgeous blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and the rest Carignan and Cinsault. The wine’s bouquet is reminiscent of a great Côte Rotie even though the Syrah component is small and no Viognier is utilized. Exotic floral aromas intermixed with blackberry and cherry fruit jump from the glass. In the mouth, the wine is soft, velvety, medium to full-bodied, pure, elegant, and exotic.” (The Wine Advocate # 178 August 2008).
One of the reasons that people talk about the purity of the wine and the fine tannins is that every hand-picked bunch is painstakingly de-stemmed prior to pressing.
Saint Jean du Barroux Cotes du Ventoux Oligocene Red 2004
This is a wine for those of you who want to cellar an emerging wine that will be fabulous in a few years time but with the potential to last for 15 or 20 years. Philippe Gimel is regarded as one of the emerging stars of the French wine scene and has achieved cult status in the United States. He is an engaging, enthusiastic and passionate advocate of his winemaking philosophy. His vineyard is completely organic and he uses no enzymes or commercial yeasts in the production of the wines.
The wine is made from Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault which come from vines that are harvested at extremely low yields (20 hectolitres per hectare). The wines see little wood in their maturation - Philippe prefers to use concrete and enamel instead. Only 5% of the wine is treated with wood and those barrels are ten years old!
The wines from his vineyard that crouches underneath the towering perched village of Le Barroux in Provence are making waves on both sides of the Atlantic. This is a big wine but with very fine tannins. It has the potential to be a great wine! And it will be even better if you lay it down for a few years. Philippe is a fastidious wine maker. He eschews the use of new wood and wants the quality of the grapes that he tends with such care in his vineyard to tell the story. His wines aren't cheap but they are significant.
RRP: $39
Certified organic by Ecocert: Licence no: 187390P
Saint Jean du Barroux Cotes du Ventoux White 2006
This is a wine for those who seek out complex, long, vibrant white wines with profound depth and concentration. It is a blend of three of our favourite white grapes - Clairette, White Grenache and Bourboulenc, with each comprising one third of the blend.
The wine is a light gold colour with greenish tints. The aromas include minerals, stone fruit, pineapple, citrus, raspberry, pear, strawberry, coconut with a residual honey overtone (we told you it was complex!).
The wine is made from vines that are at least 25 years old. Only natural fermentation is used with no yeasts or enzymes added. Two thirds of the wine was fermented in enamelled tanks and one third in 10 year old wooden barrels for a period of 11 months. It has been bottled in heavy Burgundian-style bottles and only long, premium corks are used.
Only 2300 bottles of this fine wine have been produced and ten cases (120 bottles) have been allocated for the entire Australian market. We anticipate that these will sell quickly.
RRP: $66
Certified organic by Ecocert: Licence no: 187390P
Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux Le Rose 2010
This beautifully light-pink rose is made from ?????Grenache and 25% Syrah is coming to Australia. This is an elegant wine that we sampled from the barrel last year. We were most impressed with its power and length.
RRP: $32
Certified organic by Ecocert: Licence no: 187390P
Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux La Pierre Noire Rouge 2006
Only one case of this blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah is coming to Australia. This is an elegant wine that we sampled from the barrel last year. We were most impressed with its power and length.
RRP: $58
Certified organic by Ecocert: Licence no: 187390P
Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux La Pierre Noire Rouge 2007
Only one case of this blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah is coming to Australia. This is an elegant wine that we sampled from the barrel last year. We were most impressed with its power and length.
RRP: $47
Certified organic by Ecocert: Licence no: 187390P
Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux L'Argile Rouge 2007
Only one case of this blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah is coming to Australia. This is an elegant wine that we sampled from the barrel last year. We were most impressed with its power and length.
RRP: $45
Certified organic by Ecocert: Licence no: 187390P
Saint Jean du Barroux Ventoux La Source Rouge 2008
This is Philippe's entry level wine. It comprises 70% Grenache, 25% Carignan and 5% Cinsault.
The yields for this wine are around 30 hectolitres per hectare and the grapes are all hand picked and then 100% destemmed. Maceration extends over 7 days. This vintage was bottled in September 2009 and weighs in at 15%.
RRP: $32
Certified organic by Ecocert: Licence no: 187390P
Saint Jean du Barrroux Ventoux La Montagne Blanc 2007
Philippe only produces one white wine and it is usually a blend of Clairette, White Grenache and Bourboulenc with each contributing one third of the blend.
The yield for his white grapes is a low 25 hectolitres per hectare in the 2007 vintage. The grapes were hand picked and then put through a vertical press. About 75% of the wine was put into tanks and the remainder into old barrels.
The wine was bottled in 2008 and has only recently been released. It has the structure necessary to age for up to 20 years.
RRP: $58
Certified organic by Ecocert: Licence no: 187390P