The wines made by the monks and nuns of the Barroux abbey and Vignerons Caritatis (a collaboration between winemakers) have a long, rich history as they come from the oldest, papal vineyard which was planted in around 1309 by Pape Clément V. They also continue the long tradition of monk making wine in France.
Located in Provence at the foot of Mont Ventoux, Barroux Abbey was created in 1970 by Dom Gérard Calvet from a famous Bordeaux wine merchant family.
In 1986, nuns joined the monks how had already settled here and took up the running of the vineyard to continue the work there. In 2010, Jean-Dominique Artaud, who was head winegrower at Domaine de la Janasse in Châteauneuf-du-Pape at the time, told the monks and nuns that their mountain vineyard could be the site of a fine wine. From 2011 onwards, they set about making changes to their wines in this new direction. The Via Caritatis project, uniting the monks and nuns with Beaumont winemakers, was launched with the oenologist Philippe Cambie offering advice until his passing. 30 hectares of wines (10 of which are cared for by the nuns) are tended to using organic production methods and the wines are made in a cooperative cellar. 140,000 bottles of wine are made from grapes that come from plots that are becoming more and more qualitative. There’s no time like the present to discover the wines made these monks and nuns.

This wine is crafted from a blend of four varieties: Clairette for its freshness and delicacy, Roussanne for its opulence and aromatic power, Vermentino for its pronounced aromas and Grenache Blanc for its volume and length on the palate. The grapes are grown according to organic methods, and they take full advantage of the sun they receive from their sunny, mountain plots. The Annonciation plot is formed of limestone clay soil, while the Saint-Vincent plot has loamy-sand soil and the Sainte-Thérèse is comprised of sandy clay. The hand-harvested grapes are mixed and, once in the cellar, are pressed without being destemmed. Vinification takes place in concrete vats and then the wine is aged on its fine lees for six months.
When tasting this wine, it reveals note of white flowers and peach. The silky, elegant palate has an amble texture balanced by a beautiful acidity.