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The vineyard : situated at the foot of the Mount Ventoux, called « the Giant of Provence » 1912 metres high . The vineyard extends from south to west of the mountain range. 51 communities make up the Appellation area and are all located in the Vaucluse county.
The soil : the soils date back to the Tertiary Era : hard limestone, fallen earth as well as ancient alluvial soils with rounded pebbles.
The climate : benefiting from maximum sunshine, protected from strong Mistral winds, the different soils transmit specific characteristics to the wine.
Background : a recent discovery of a potter’s workshop in the heart of the appellation, allows us to trace the production of wine in the area back to 30 years after the birth of Jesus Christ. It can be said that the AOC Ventoux vineyard perpetrates a long term tradition of vines existing in the area since Antiquity. In Loriol du Comtat, near Carpentras, one of the oldest wine silos, dating more than 2,500 years, has been discovered. After the end of the Barbarian invasions , the cultivation of vineyards resumed in the Middle Ages. The Archbishop of Carpentras gave his monks a property in Mallemort du Comtat in 882. 11 centuries later, Saint Mayeul, the most famous and illustrious Abbey of Cluny, born in Apt, with his family, started to plant vines on all his properties around Apt. In the XIVth century, the Popes in Avignon had wines from Malaucene, Pernes, Malemort and Carpentras delivered to their Courts. The King Louis-Philippe, in the middle of the XIVth century made the “Old Grenache” wine from Mazan his official wine of the Court. The AOC Ventoux wines became appellation wines on July 23, 1973a recent discovery of a potter’s workshop in the heart of the appellation, allows us to trace the production of wine in the area back to 30 years after the birth of Jesus Christ. It can be said that the AOC Ventoux vineyard perpetrates a long term tradition of vines existing in the area since Antiquity. In Loriol du Comtat, near Carpentras, one of the oldest wine silos, dating more than 2,500 years, has been discovered. After the end of the Barbarian invasions , the cultivation of vineyards resumed in the Middle Ages. The Archbishop of Carpentras gave his monks a property in Mallemort du Comtat in 882. 11 centuries later, Saint Mayeul, the most famous and illustrious Abbey of Cluny, born in Apt, with his family, started to plant vines on all his properties around Apt. In the XIVth century, the Popes in Avignon had wines from Malaucene, Pernes, Malemort and Carpentras delivered to their Courts. The King Louis-Philippe, in the middle of the XIVth century made the “Old Grenache” wine from Mazan his official wine of the Court. The AOC Ventoux wines became appellation wines on July 23, 1973.
Vinification
Surface of production:* : 6,279 hectares produced annually:
263 020 hectolitres; maximum yield: 42 hectolitres per hectare.
*Sources: Official Harvest Report 2010
Grape Varieties : for red and rosé wines: Black Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, and Carignan for the main varieties, Black Picpoul, Counoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc, White Grenache and Roussane as secondary varieties. The proportion of Carignan must not exceed 30% of the total of grapes planted and the secondary varieties must not exceed 20%. For the white wines: Clairette, Bourboulenc, White Grenache as the main grape varieties, Roussane not exceeding 30% for the plantation of the secondary varieties.
Minimum alcoholic content : for the red, rosé and white wines: 11°
For more information : www.aoc-ventoux.fr
