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THE DELAY FAMILY WITH<br />
THE MONT VENTOUX<br />
IN THE BACKGROUND<br />
around Tain l’Hermitage. Tension, aromatic concentration and a fine tannin<br />
structure provide all the requisite ingredients for crafting fine wines from the<br />
varietal”. Every step is taken to ensure the grapes are processed properly and<br />
protected in the vineyard and the winery, from night time harvesting to the use<br />
of small tippers filled with inert dry ice. The maturation process is similarly<br />
meticulous so that the reductive side of Syrah can be enhanced, with the wines<br />
matured in used French oak barrels and demi-muids. Ageing lasts from 18 to<br />
36 months depending on the wine. The aim is to promote slow, progressive<br />
micro-oxygenation, with very little wood. Château Isolette’s flagship Bohème<br />
label is complemented by a dash of Grenache to ensure compliance with the<br />
appellation’s blending rules, but Olivier Rouquet says, “If the AOC allowed me<br />
to do so, I would produce magnificent single varietal Syrahs”.<br />
VENTOUX AND ITS MOUNTAIN INFLUENCE<br />
Forming a semi-circle South of the legendary Mont Ventoux, which peaks<br />
at 1,912 metres, the Ventoux wine region extends over 5,600 hectares, which<br />
is more than Costières de Nîmes and the Luberon combined. Ventoux also<br />
gets a generous amount of sunshine, and like Costières de Nîmes, it is also<br />
buffeted by the strong Mistral wind. The hilliest north-western area comes<br />
under the influence of Mont Ventoux, its cool mountain air rushing down the<br />
slopes by night. Domaine du Bon Remède, located in the foothills of Mont<br />
Ventoux, benefits from cool nights where temperatures can plummet to around<br />
15°C in the summer, despite day time temperatures effortlessly exceeding<br />
30°C. Vincent Delay, the estate’s fourth-generation winegrower who recently<br />
graduated in oenology, explains the variety of vineyard soils that form his 35-ha<br />
vineyard: “The sandy soils produce finesse in our whites and rosés, while the<br />
heavier clay and pebble-strewn soils instil power and concentration in our<br />
32 AUTUMN 2022 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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