When René Devine started selling barrels of wine to passing merchants in 1936, he was selling the sort of rich, full bodied and sun soaked wines that caused a sensation in Paris when railroads first connected the city to the vineyards of southern France. René’s granddaughter Agnes runs the domaine today with her husband Bertand Burle, and they look for balance in the wines. Balance between intensity and finesse, between fruit and savory earth, between the present and the future. They have the highest organic certification available and work as sustainably as possible. Font Sarade means ‘dry land’ in the Provençal dialect, and the grapes struggle even in normal years, so sustainable practices are always part of the conversation. The 2020 edition of the entry tier Ventoux is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan, full of dark cherry and boysenberry fruit, clay, leather, and a note of smoked ribs (that’s the Syrah talking). On the palate, the wine is impressively rich, with crusty earth and leathery fruit, black forest bacon with the peppery edge, and tar. Drink this wine with roasts or cook roasts with this wine.