Winemaker Notes
Aromatic nose, with notes of violet flower, licorice, spices and fresh blackberry. The palate has a fresh and velvety texture, very balanced and very subtle, with aromas of strawberry, raspberry and violet flower, with a long and slightly peperry finish
Blend: 50% Syrah, 50% Grenache
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Two high-altitude single vineyards: one of Grenache, one Syrah. The wine spends 18 months in barrel, with 50% new oak. Tightly wound aromatics, well-integrated oak. It’s generous, with supple, intense tannins and piercing acidity. Highly concentrated but not overextracted; powerful and vivid. Will impress – but needs time. Drinking Window 2021 - 2026
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Jeb Dunnuck
Made from equal parts Syrah and Grenache, the 2016 Ventoux Cuvee Artemia is another terrific vintage for this cuvee. Still young, backward and unevolved, it has tons of potential in its blue fruits, graphite, crushed rock and violet-tinged aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, with terrific purity of fruit, and fine, building tannin, it needs 2-3 years of bottle age and will keep for a decade or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah, aged in 50% new oak, the 2016 Ventoux Artemia is a tremendous effort. It combines blueberries and stone fruit with cedary notes and then underscores those attractive aromas and flavors with a full-bodied, velvety texture and a bright, crisp finish. Lovely stuff.
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Wine Enthusiast
Artemia is Pesquié's prestige bottling sourced from Grenache and Syrah grown at high elevations and aged in 50% new oak. Ripe and opulent it juxtaposes fleshy black fruit against layers of olive, charcuterie and smoke. Concentrated yet elegant and silky, it drinks well already but should improve through 2026 and hold further.
Editors' Choice -
Wine Spectator
Bright boysenberry and raspberry coulis notes race through, flecked with tea, anise and floral accents along the way. Fresh and tasty. Drink
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Stretching across the slopes of the Ventoux mountain in the southeastern region of the Rhône River Valley, Cotes du Ventoux excels in the production of spicy and characterful red blends based on Grenache, Syrah, and other indigenous varieties. The region also produces rich and aromatic whites and rosés.