The latest vintage of one of our best-selling French reds is back!

"a smoking value..." - Jeb Dunnuck

Ch. Juvenal  Les Ribes du Vallat 2018

Sale $11.89 - Beats the Best US Price Online

What's the "catch"? None... you can buy 12 bottles, six bottles, whatever... the "caveat", though, is this is the last of the vintage. What I have is it for a while...

90-92 pts Jeb Dunnuck

As has become the norm for this wine, I think this drinks better from bottle than the barrel rating would imply. 92-93 pts for sure. Right in line with the 93 pt-rated 2016 vintage.

For those new to our store, you might be thinking, "Why haven't you heard of the winery before now?" Well, the winery only started producing under this label in 2011, when two families joined their properties to form the Chateau. Yet the vines are over 50 years old! At the same time, they hired famed oenologist Phillipe Cambie. The accolades he has received are innumerable, having consulted for some of the most famed wineries in the Rhone and Southern France. 100 pt wines roll out from his consultancy on a regular basis!

But wait, there’s more! The Ventoux region is quite massive, with a deluge of mediocre bulk wines. But, there are parts that possess incredible terroir. In the northern section of the appellation rise the peaks of the Dentelles de Montmirail. On the northwestern side of this mountain chain lay the vineyards of Gigondas. Yeah… that Gigondas, home to some of the most prized, and expensive, wines in the Rhone Valley.  On the southeastern side lay the vineyards of Ch. Juvenal. Located on the southern slopes near Graveyron, the vineyards are considered to have one of the finest terroir in all of Ventoux. All of this seems too hard to be overlooked, right? Well, it wasn’t. Off Cambie’s advice, a famed importer initially snapped this winery up. Reviews were solid 90-92 pts, but this same importer had other, long-standing wineries to represent. Simply, while too good to pass up, they just didn’t have enough reach to move enough boxes. So they landed with another of our favorite importers, and the rest is history!

70% Grenache and 30% Syrah from 50+ year-old vines, farmed organically and hand-harvested parcel by parcel according to optimal ripeness. It explodes with aromas of black cherries, raspberries and lavender. Juicy dark fruit flavors are most certainly lush and intense, yet there are finely woven tannins that give this wine impressive length and balance. The tannins are what elevates the wine – the balance they provide is uncommon at this price, elevating it from good to an incredible value!

"a smoking value geared for near-term drinking... perfumed raspberry fruits, spice and floral notes as well as a rounded, textured, pure style on the palate. " Jeb Dunnuck


Or reply. The wine is available now in Chapel Hill. Friday, as ordered, in Hillsborough.