Saint Jean du Barroux
The Saint Jean du Barroux winery is located in the Valchiusa department, in the Provence–Alps–Côte d'Azur region, in an idyllic setting perched on the slopes of Mont Ventoux. Here, Philippe Gimel has fulfilled his dream, inventing and building his winery from scratch. After years of studying geology, he decided to graduate from the National Institute of Oenology in Toulouse, to continue with various apprenticeships at the best wineries in the Rhône area. After a long search, in 2003 Philippe purchased some land suitable for wine production, in an area, however, less tied to the wine world compared to the nearby ones, thus fully detached from traditional dogmas.
Philippe Gimel immediately chose an organic philosophy in managing Saint Jean du Barroux, adapting his 16 hectares, of which 4 are covered by fruit trees, forests, and plants in general. Such biodiversity brings with it the advantage of increasing the number of insects within the vineyard, contributing to the healthy life of the plants. In the lower part of his vineyards, under Mont Ventoux, he cultivates white grape varieties down the valley, while the red ones, including Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Carignan, are grown uphill. The harvest is done manually, with a careful selection of the berries that must be healthy and absolutely ripe. The alcoholic fermentation takes place after at least ten days of maceration, and the aging phase occurs in concrete for at least two years, giving us labels with incredible aging potential.
Saint Jean du Barroux represents a wonderful incorruptible reality. Philippe Gimel does not intervene either in the vineyard or in the winery with toxic elements, does not carry out filtrations or tricks, with the precise aim of giving great voice to his terroir in all its wild purity and pleasant naturalness. It is precisely from quality that Philippe wants to start, that of his berries which, only by assuming certain characteristics, can give labels of great luster for this stunning winery, which has nothing to envy to its competitors in the Rhône valley.
The Saint Jean du Barroux winery is located in the Valchiusa department, in the Provence–Alps–Côte d'Azur region, in an idyllic setting perched on the slopes of Mont Ventoux. Here, Philippe Gimel has fulfilled his dream, inventing and building his winery from scratch. After years of studying geology, he decided to graduate from the National Institute of Oenology in Toulouse, to continue with various apprenticeships at the best wineries in the Rhône area. After a long search, in 2003 Philippe purchased some land suitable for wine production, in an area, however, less tied to the wine world compared to the nearby ones, thus fully detached from traditional dogmas.
Philippe Gimel immediately chose an organic philosophy in managing Saint Jean du Barroux, adapting his 16 hectares, of which 4 are covered by fruit trees, forests, and plants in general. Such biodiversity brings with it the advantage of increasing the number of insects within the vineyard, contributing to the healthy life of the plants. In the lower part of his vineyards, under Mont Ventoux, he cultivates white grape varieties down the valley, while the red ones, including Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Carignan, are grown uphill. The harvest is done manually, with a careful selection of the berries that must be healthy and absolutely ripe. The alcoholic fermentation takes place after at least ten days of maceration, and the aging phase occurs in concrete for at least two years, giving us labels with incredible aging potential.
Saint Jean du Barroux represents a wonderful incorruptible reality. Philippe Gimel does not intervene either in the vineyard or in the winery with toxic elements, does not carry out filtrations or tricks, with the precise aim of giving great voice to his terroir in all its wild purity and pleasant naturalness. It is precisely from quality that Philippe wants to start, that of his berries which, only by assuming certain characteristics, can give labels of great luster for this stunning winery, which has nothing to envy to its competitors in the Rhône valley.
