Domaine de Fondrèche Ventoux Il Etait Une Fois Rouge 2019
WineSpark Price €29.95
This is the top Grenache wine from one of the top producers in the Ventoux, if not the whole Rhone. Take note.
Il Etait Une Fois means ‘Once upon a time’. Sebastien started making this wine 10 years ago - when the vines were old enough to create a truly great style of Grenache which tastes like Pinot Noir.
The vines are now 85 years old and sit on clay-chalk soil, which give an incredible richness and complexity to the grapes.
On the nose… wild herbs, pepper and raspberry jump out of the glass. When you taste it it’s soft, pure and velvety, with a long, toasty, mineral finish. It’s so so good.
If you like Chateauneuf du Pape, with an whiff of extra freshness and drinkability, this is right up your street.
It’s a tiny production wine, only made in the best years, and mostly sold in Michelin starred restaurants. So it’s a real coup that you can enjoy it for a relative snip on WineSpark.
| Wine type | Red |
| Grape(s) | 80% Grenache 10% Syrah 10% Mourvedre |
| Country | France |
| Region of origin | Rhone Valley |
| Appellation | Ventoux |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Alcohol % | 14.5% |
| Oak? | Yes |
| Months in Oak | 12 months |
| Type of Oak | One Stockinger Wooden Vat |
| Allergens (e.g. does it contain Milk, Egg, Fish, Nuts) | None |
| Average age of vines | 85 years |
| Average altitude of vines (m) | 250m |
| Soil type(s) | Plateau of flints |
| Closure Type | Natural cork |
| Is this wine organic? | Yes, without certification |
| Biodynamic? | Yes, without certification |
| Sustainably produced? | Yes |
| Suitable for vegans? | Yes |
| Ageing potential | 15 years |
| Ideal drinking window | 2025 - 2030 |
It was on my hunt for southern Rhone gems that my winemaker friend Denis Crespo gave me great advice. ‘Think about the Ventoux’ he told me, ‘the value and potential here is enormous’.
So when he connected me with Sebastien Vincenti of Domaine de Fondreche, arguably the Ventoux’s top producer, I couldn’t believe my luck.
To go all out, try this at the top of Mont Ventoux at a restaurant called La Terrasse du Chalet Reynard - great food and views. The wine goes particularly well with local Ventoux free-range pork.
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