“Vox Angelorum” Ventoux Rouge 2018 – Via Caritatis

The grapes to produce the “Vox Angelorum” Ventoux Rouge Via Caritatis were hand harvested and subjected to a rigorous sorting process upon arrival at the winery. The grapes were all de-stemmed and macerated on the skins for 18 days in order to extract colour and tannin. Fermentation took place in concrete vats. At the beginning of the fermentation, the ‘rack and return’ process was employed in order to encourage extraction, followed by gentle pumping over to avoid extraction of overly-harsh tannins. After malolactic fermentation, the wine rested in concrete tanks for 12 months before bottling.

Located in the foothills of Mount Ventoux, the vineyards surround the Abbey and include the first papal vineyard in France which pre-dates Châteaneuf-du-Pape. The vines are planted at an altitude of 320-380m in the foothills and are tempered by the Mistral wind. The vines benefit from warm days and cool nights and are cultivated organically. The location means work in the vineyards is very labour intensive, so everything is done by hand.

Via Caritatis was born thanks to the monks of the Abbey Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux and the local cooperative, Beaumont de Ventoux, United by a wish to revive their region’s winemaking history and support local winemakers. They joined forces in 2015 to create a range of wines from their combined 30 hectares of vineyards. The quality of the grapes and the impressive community partnership attracted the attention of illustrious Rhône oenologist Philippe Cambie, who has since become consultant winemaker for Via Caritatis.