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 a true ode to joy. There’s a little plumpness from the Grenache, liveliness from the Syrah and authenticity from the Carignan. Open this bottle with good friends and enjoy a pleasant evening together. A piece of beef or a barbecue would complete the whole ensemble.
The grapes come from altitude, having benefited from the mountain climate. They are harvested when they have reached optimum ripeness and are taken to the cellar for a classic vinification in concrete vats. The bunches are destemmed and macerated for 18 days. Fermentation is followed by small amounts of the wine being pumped over the cap. Then it is aged in concrete vats for at least nine months.
This garnet wine’s nose contains delicious Morello cherry and raspberry aromas. On the palate, its balance and plumpness flow into a silky finish.