Winemaker Notes
Very easy to match. With simple dishes such as pizzas, kebabs,charcuterie, vegetable pies or salads to more ambitious cuisine liketerrines, poultry (guineafowl, turkey...), roasted or grilled meats.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Always a terrific value, the 2014 Ventoux Terrasses is no exception and offers complex, classic southern Rhone notes of dried garrigue, pepper, spice-box, licorice and sweet cherry fruit. These carry to a medium to full-bodied, elegant and balanced red that gains depth and richness with time in the glass, has loads Provencal character and a great finish. Made from a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah that was aged in tank and old barrels, it can last for 7-8 years (I know as I just finished a case of the ’05, which was still going strong at age 10.)
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.