Ventoux & Luberon

Gargas, between Luberon and Ventoux

Domaine de la Coquillade sits above Gargas in the Vaucluse, inside the Luberon nature park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1990. Most of its vines lie within the Ventoux appellation, which is why most labels read AOP Ventoux. The Elyo Blanc, from Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne, is bottled as IGP Méditerranée.

What Frank John is changing

The estate has been certified organic since 2022, and since 2024 Frank John has been leading the conversion to biodynamics. He uses no synthetic pesticides or herbicides and does not till the soil, ferments with wild yeast and ages the wines in concrete eggs, oak, ceramic and amphorae. For the Coquillade Blanc 2024, about 95 percent Roussanne with a little Clairette, whole berries are pressed and fermented in amphorae and used barriques, then the wine spends around six months on fine lees.

Elyo or Coquillade

The estate bottles two lines. The Elyo Rouge 2023, Syrah and Grenache, ages on its lees in concrete egg, wood and ceramic. For the Coquillade Rouge 2023 the grapes are picked late, and the 52 percent Grenache and 48 percent Syrah ferment separately in steel and concrete before part of the wine goes into oak. With lamb or ratatouille, we would take the Coquillade Rouge over the Elyo.

Rosé made for the table

The Elyo Rosé 2024 and the Coquillade Rosé 2024 are both 95 percent Syrah with 5 percent Grenache, directly pressed and wild fermented, at around 14 percent. They are made for food: seafood, poultry, Mediterranean cooking. The Coquillade Rosé smells of almond and cherry blossom, with a touch of green olive on the palate. The estate's rosés are also the base of the Rosé Pétillant, dealcoholised under vacuum at low temperature down to 0.0 percent.

The Rubis to finish

The Rubis 2023 is a sweet red from pure Caladoc, a cross of Grenache and Malbec, from vines averaging 25 years on iron-rich limestone. Fermentation is stopped with alcohol to keep the sweetness of the fruit, then the wine ages twelve months in barriques and tonneaux. There are around 1,000 half-litre bottles per vintage, and it belongs with blue cheese and dark chocolate.