Domaine de Fondreche , just outside Mazan, has long been regarded as the Ventoux' star producer. Immaculate vineyards with near perfect exposures and winemaking that is unapologetically honest, without recourse to the preferences of some international critics, all adds up to a range wines that consistently over-delivers. A couple of years ago, on my previous visit, I thought cellar door prices seemed a little high but Sebastien Vincenti has obviously thought about these as well as the range generally as there are slightly fewer wines on offer which, in my view, means quality is higher than ever. Inevitably, the tasting started with the Fondreche Blanc from 2014 (the 50,000 bottles produced in this vintage are almost all sold now) which is a blend of Roussanne, Grenache, Clairette and Vermentino in equal parts although it is the Roussanne which dominates the nose and the Vermentino that brings the freshness to the wine. Aged in a mixture of foudres and barriques, the win...
Musings on wine and occasional other subjects from The Big Red Wine Company's James Bercovici