We are just about to ship our next parcel of wonderful Ventoux reds from Château Unang, with their unique sense of place and distinctive character.  Whilst Ventoux's warm climate means reliably consistent fruit in most vintages, we particularly love the 2021s from Unang.  With their perfect combination of ripe, sunshine-laden fruit and freshness, they're extraordinarily good value, at just £150 per dozen in bond for La Source and £190 for La Croix.

In a remote location in the Nesque Valley and surrounded by forests, Château Unang dates back to the 9th century, owned for centuries by the local bishops. A Scottish couple, Joanna and James King, purchased it in 2001 and set about making this into one of the most exciting producers in the Ventoux.  The estate takes its unusual name from the 'les sables d'Unang', the sandy soil over limestone which predominates on the hillside vineyard.

At an elevation of 220-320m, the microclimate here is cooler than in many other parts of the region.  Farming organically, the Kings make their red wines from a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Carignan.  Their various cuvées are made from varying blends of these varieties, with increasing vine age and at increasing elevations.  Yields are just 25 hl/ha and the wines undergo a traditional fermentation, followed by ageing in 225L barriques and 600L 'demi-muids'. 

The blend for ‘La Source’ is dominated by Syrah offering a more linear, focused palate with black fruit, whereas ‘La Croix’ majors on Grenache with a wilder, more rounded character, reminiscent of it’s neighbours in the Southern Rhone like Giondas and Chateauneuf-du-Pape, around 20-30km away.  Whilst we enjoy the ripe, sunshine flavours in both La Source and La Croix, what makes us love them is their complex layers of floral, garrigue and mineral flavours and aromas.  Both are delicious to drink now but with lots of potential to age and develop.

To order, simply e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk. 

Offered ex-cellar, expected in the UK in March 2025.