Since the beginning, wine in the surrounding regions of famed Châteauneuf-du-Pape has been superabundant, but, as of recent, an all-important revolution has sculpted the foundation here: High-quality, handcrafted wines from eco-conscious producers have exploded onto the scene at a fraction of Châteauneuf-du-Pape prices. And while these wines are similar in style and quality, they have character and distinction all their own.
I can think of no better example than Domaine Martinelle’s soulful red, organically sourced from the lofty foothills of Ventoux. Not only will people be thoroughly pleased with its superb taste-to-value ratio, they will also surely find uncanny resemblances to graceful Châteauneuf-du-Pape and layered red Burgundy. I’ll put it as simple as I can: At $24 a bottle, this 2016 Ventoux from Domaine Martinelle is easily one of the best values in Southern Rhône today. I encourage you to throw all preconceived Rhône notions to the curbside, and instead picture this as a red wine that has perfectly melded every quality you love about top CdP and Burgundy—freshness, lift, high-toned aromatics, and a seamless sensory experience from start to finish.
If you take a quick 30-minute jaunt slightly northeast of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, you’ll enter the outskirts of Lafare, located in the northern section of Beaumes-de-Venise (the southern half is known for its naturally sweet, fortified Muscats). This tucked-away commune is home to Domaine Martinelle, a winery founded and run by a one-woman show, Corinna Faravel, who is the wife of Thierry Faravel, co-owner of acclaimed Domaine Bouïssière in Gigondas. Corinna embodies what this blossoming region needs: she’s impassioned, energetic, wise beyond her years, and shows a delicate, hands-off approach so as to let the terroir sing and the wine create itself. She acquired her first plot in 2001, bottled her first vintage solo in 2004, and built a cellar in Lafare in 2009—which made her a fully-functioning domaine.
Ventoux is cooler than most Southern Rhône appellations. It is a blended mountain and Mediterranean climate that is protected from the harsh elements of Mont Ventoux by the sweeping Dentelles de Montmirail, an outcrop of the larger Alps. Corinna’s first purchase of slow-ripening, low-yielding vines came from these foothills, and the majority of grapes in today’s 2016 Ventoux bottling are atop a broad-shouldered slope within them. The soils here are a mixture of clay and iron-rich limestone with ancient volcanic footprints, although her Syrah plantings are at the base of the hill, where soils are poorer and looser.
The blend is predominantly Grenache, healthy portions of Syrah and Mourvèdre, a touch of Carignan, and trace percentages of other local varieties. Her vines range from 10-50 years of age and altitudes can reach nearly 1,000 feet (Châteauneuf-du-Pape is about a third of that). She’s been an organic practitioner since the birth of Martinelle and uses old-fashioned horse and plow in the vineyards. Grapes are hand-harvested and shuttled into cement (allowing for the slightest bit of oxygen exposure) vats via gravity, where only indigenous yeasts are used. The wine ages underground in concrete vats and is bottled unfined and unfiltered.
This classic Southern Rhône 2016 Ventoux Rouge possesses a highly-reflective, dark crimson core with pink and garnet tones on the rim. It bursts with archetypal aromas for the region: cassis, dried strawberry, garrigue, pepper and damp forest. In the glass, it harnesses the freshness and balance you find in great Red Burgundy, while exploding with dense, high-toned Châteauneuf-du-Pape notes of black raspberry liqueur, ripe plums, and wild herbs. This wine has everything I love: It's soft, elegant, perfumed, and full of rich flavors. This will drink well for the next 5-7 years, but it is perfectly ready to enjoy in Burgundy stems after a quick 30 minute decant. Nearly full in body, it's got just the right amount of balance and structure to match a whole host of cuisines; it would be a great pairing with roasted chicken or duck—but I chose to match it with several
barbecued pork loins last weekend. Whatever you choose, it's an ultimate food wine and definitely a crowd pleaser—perfect for any dinner party you may be hosting or attending. Cheers!
