Southern Rhône Charm from Château Juvenal!
When it comes to delivering wines that are authentic, expressive and of incredible value, the Southern Rhône is simply unbeatable. With today's offering, we've uncovered a very exciting, and very nicely priced white and red from the often overlooked Ventoux region.
The Château Juvenal Ventoux Rouge and Blanc both are tremendously tasty. They tasted great when we committed to buying them nearly six months ago, and they're showing even better on the tasting table now. At $15.99 and $14.99, there's real bang-for-buck here too.
Ready to pour and enjoy now, they will shine alongside your springtime meals and beyond. Read on for our tasting notes, then get ready to hit the Big Green Button to secure your bottles!
2024 Château Juvenal "Les Ribes" Blanc
Ventoux, Rhône, France
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At last week's Sneak Preview tasting, this was soooo good! With production of red wines far outpacing whites in the region, we love it when we're able to find a Rhône Blanc that gets our blood going. Especially at this price.
Focusing on freshness, purity, and Southern Rhône character, the Les Ribes Blanc is dominated by Clairette, rounded out with 20% Viognier. Clairette is not a variety we commonly see dominating a Rhône white blend, and it creates a wonderfully refreshing and lively wine when grown in the right place and picked at the right time.
Super fresh and clean, there is a wonderful citrus burst here which complements the ripe orchard fruit character. The Viognier adds aromatic lift and a weight, creating a perfect balance that will make for a big spring/summer hit.
“The Southern Rhône valley is best known for red wines, and for good reason - it's hot down there, and big reds thrive! There are, however, exciting pockets for super high quality white grapes to be grown. Take this bottling from Sébastian Alban, from higher elevation parcels in the often overlooked Ventoux. Farmed organically, this blend of 40 year old certified organic Clairette (80%) and Viognier (20%) is delicious, and an absurd value! Crunchy, and textural, look for flavors of anissette, lime zest, white pepper, green apple and white peach, finishing with generosity and zest - perfect by itself with friends or paired with roast chicken, cream sauce dishes or grouper tacos!"
- 90+ points, Vin Chicago (2/2026)
The only listings we could find for this tasty white are in Belgium and the UK. Our price beats them both. A lot of fun and balance here for fifteen bucks!
Vin Chicago Price: 14.99
2022 Château Juvenal "Les Ribes" Rouge
Ventoux, Rhône, France
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The Ventoux appellation sits quietly in the southeastern part of the Rhône Valley, just across from the famous regions of Châteauneauf-du-Pape and Gigondas.
Dominated by Grenache, the “Les Ribes” Rouge - the name referring to the gentle slopes along the river bed that runs through the estate - pours a medium shade of ruby in the glass and unpacks a deceptive amount of depth, weight and warmth on the palate.
Gorgeous strawberry, red cherry and blackberry fruit are abundant and enhanced by spice and earthy touches from the Syrah that rounds out the blend. Everything comes together to make a very pleasing and balanced wine. No oak is used, maintaining the freshness and allowing the pure fruit flavors to sing harmoniously together.
This pre-bottling review from Jeb Dunnock was certainly on the right track. If you like powerful reds that offer Southern French charm and authentic flavors, this Vin Chicago favorite is definitely worth your time.
“Not yet bottled, the 2022 Ventoux Les Ribes Du Vallat (70% Grenache and 30% Syrah) has a charming, up-front, fruit-loaded style in its wild strawberry and darker berry fruits as well as medium-bodied richness and depth on the palate. This classic, spicy, peppery, garrigue-driven red will shine for 7-8 years."
- 90-92 points, Jeb Dunnuck (10/30/2023)
Drinking like a baby Gigondas, the intense red gave us flashbacks to the bottles of Bastide Miraflors and Narassa that we loved so much in years gone by. As with the white, the value here is quite spectacular.
Vin Chicago Price: 15.99
