Château Unang, Côtes de Ventoux

Ch. Unang lies among the foothills of Mont Ventoux, in the heart of Provence. This ancient estate, dating from the 9th century, sits alone surrounded by its own forest and facing the Plateau of Vaucluse. Here James and Joanna King create a range of wines that give full expression to the exceptional terroir at Château Unang, situated in the southern Rhône within
the Côtes du Ventoux appellation.

The 20 hectares of vines, mostly more than 30 years old, are spread around the estate’s 60 hectares. The varieties grown are typical of the Rhône valley – yet achieve a unique personality here. Their vineyards are south-facing and are between 220 and 300 metres above sea level. Even this difference in altitudes creates a three-week longer growing season for our red grape varieties, on the highest ground, as against the white grape varieties lower down the hillside.

The vines are planted on various types of clay and limestone soils, and benefit from the strong northerly Mistral wind that airs their leaves – helping to keep the vines dry and healthy through the growing season. With no vineyards surrounding the estate, only forest, the risk of infection from other vines is greatly reduced.

The varieties of red grapes, accounting for 90% of the vineyard, are typical of the Rhone valley (with percentage of the total surface area noted in brackets): Grenache (45%), Syrah (25%), Mourvedre (8%), Carignan (9%), Cinsault (3%), The varieties of white grapes, located close to the valley floor, are: Roussanne (5%), Clairette (5%).

Wine to Watch: Ch. Unang La Source 2007 £9.50 per bottle