I’m a huge fan of the Mourvedre grape variety and this Bandol drinks well above its price point.  Bravo!

Have you ever had a wine on your “To Taste” list, but you never seemed to get around to it?

Such was the case for me.  So, when I found out that the theme for this month’s French Winophiles was Provence (with an emphasis on going beyond Provencal rosé), I knew it had to be Bandol!

About Provence

Of course, the archetypal Provencal wine is a Cotes de Provence rosé.  But there are smaller appellations making interesting and exciting wines worth seeking out for the wine enthusiast.

The two most well-known  appellations in Provence, not dominated by rosé, are Bandol and Cassis.   Located on the Mediterranean coast between Marseille and Toulon you’ll find the deeply colored, richly flavored reds of Bandol, where Mourvedre is the dominant grape variety.   Situated just 12 miles east of Bandol, you’ll find the full-bodied whites of Cassis (not to be confused with the blackcurrant-based liqueur of the same name).  It was the first AOC  (1936) in Provence, and  Marsanne is the dominant grape variety.

In the far east of Provence, the perfumed wines of the tiny Bellet appellation are made in the tightly ridged hills above Nice. The dominant grape variety is Rolle (Vermentino) and it’s the only AOC in Provence that is allowed to use Chardonnay.

The far west is home to the organic reds and rosés of the geologically distinctive Les Baux-de-Provence. The wine are made predominantly from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.

2006 Domaine La Bastide Blanche Bandol

This wine is a blend of 72% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, 6% Cinsualt, 1% Syrah, and 1% Carignan from 30 year-old organically farmed vines. Fruit was hand-harvested at low yields of 36hL/ha.  The grapes were entirely de-stemmed, followed by a 22 day fermentation on indigenous yeasts with occasional pigeage in foudre.  Thereafter it was aged in large foudres.

My tasting notes follow:

Color – Opaque black-red
Aromas – Aromatic and appealing blackberry, cassis, black cherry, black olive, and sandalwood with notes of roast espresso, warm spice and earth
Body – Medium-bodied and harmonious with mouth-watering acidity and well-integrated fine-grained tannins.
Taste – Expressive flavors of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, and spice with notes of medium-dark chocolate and an appealing minerality
Finish – Long
14.5% abv|SRP – $27| 91pts

I’m a huge fan of the Mourvedre grape variety and this Bandol drinks well above its price point.  Bravo! 

Pair with: roasted red meats  and hearty stews like cassoulet.  Smoked meat and duck are also good matches.

About Domaine La Bastide Blanche

In the early ‘70s Michel and Louis Bronzo acquired the property of the Bastide Blanche, with an eye to produce from appellation Bandol wines the equal of more famous appellations like Châteauneuf. Their painstaking efforts were rewarded in 1993 when vintage conditions created the benchmark year to put Bandol in general and Bastide-Blanche, in particular, on the map of top producers in France. The proprietor of Bastide Blanche also owns Ch. de Castillon and Domaine Baumelles. All Bandol, all in the same close area to Bastide Blanche. He has pieced these properties together over time. He keeps the names separate as the terroirs are different and the wines have been sold under those names in France for a long time. Common each year to their success are their very low yields, never more than 34 or 35 Hl/Ha, and simply impeccable cellar conditions and attention. Situated in St. Anne de Castellet, a terroir of Bandol rich in limestone. This, and the high proportion of Mourvèdre gives this domaine some of the most ripe and expressive of Bandol according to importer Weygandt Metzler.

Check out what other Provencal treasure my fellow French Winophiles have discovered: