Completely dry with measured acidity, it tastes of raspberries with a hint of dried fruit (apricots, in particular) and fresh lemon on the finish. The hilly region enjoys over 3,000 hours of sun per year, and the vineyards from which its red wine draws its grapes almost always face the sunny south. The nose is very pretty with watermelon along with a slight strawberry and a steely quality. It is often considered to be one of the best red wines in Provence which produces strong and robust wines with very long ageing potential. Sometimes, it is because these wines are very rare. For both the red and rosé wines, Mourvèdre must account for at least 50% of the blend, though most producers will use significantly more, with Grenache & Cinsaut usually filling out the rest of the wine’s composition. The film festival was going on. But mourvèdre plays a starring role in Bandol, whose microclimate uniquely develops the intensity and layering of the grape like no other region. Rosé may have a reputation as a fair-weather beverage, but there is no good reason why wine that just so happens to be pink can’t be drunk at any and all points of the year. Bruno Paillard’s Première Cuvée Rosé Champagne. I have not tried every wine on this list. A rich wine full of ripe raspberry … Where is the best Rosé wine from? Although one can drink Bandol with pleasure within a few years of the harvest (I had an amiable 2004 Bunan at Chez Panisse Café a few months ago), the best Bandol reds don’t peak for 12 to 25 years. Strawberry, watermelon, citrus and white pepper flavors leap out of this glass. The Domaine also makes a stunning red and white wine, but the region is known for rosé—a fact reflected in this world-class example. I mean, have you even been on a rooftop bar if you haven’t also supped on Whispering Angel at the same time? Here Ken Gargett takes a look at a couple of the very best rosés made anywhere on the planet. ), Bandol Wines: Great Red Wines from Provence, Rosé du Loire? This is a longer version of an article also published by the Financial Times.. See Domaine Tempier, new and (very) old for full tasting notes. Nestled between Marseille and Toulon on the French Riviera, Bandol produces red wines of great power and depth. Did you know that rosé makes for more than half of Provence’s wine production? Bandol, unlike most of its Provencal neighbors, produces serious vins de garde. One-half of all rosé wine made in France comes from Provence. Few beverages satisfy on a hot day like a glass of chilled Bandol blush, paired with anything grilled or savored on its own. Composed mostly of cinsault with a splash of younger vine mourvèdre culled from northward facing vineyards, Bandol rosé is taught and trim where its red cousin is round and robust. When asked the secret of youth, he replied, “The wines of Bandol.” In the 18th and 19th centuries, merchants shipped Bandol to India and the Americas as a matter of course. Some I have and others I hope to. The 12 Best Rosé Wines To Buy Right Now Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé. Many of these wines are rare and hard to find. Visiting wine country? And here are some of our favourites, both still and sparkling. At a terrific little wine shop in Aix-en-Provence I purchased a bottle of 2001 Chateau Pradeaux, one of the better winemakers in Bandol. $28. Other times, it’s because the wine has a place in history. Louis XV first made Bandol fashionable by serving it at the royal table. Nor does the history of Bandol explain the region’s obscurity. de la Tour du Bon, Dom. Domaine Tempier's Bandol rose is a contender for the world's best. Rose. Nor should Bandol’s privileged location contribute to its relative anonymity. du Pibanon, Ch. The balance of the blend is rounded out by cinsault (for finesse of texture) and grenache (for generosity of flavor). 2014 Domaine du Gros Noré Rosé Rosés should be crisp, mineral and dry with complex flavors. There are many famous wine regions within Provence, but none make better wines than Bandol. Best Dining in Bandol, French Riviera - Cote d'Azur: See 19,690 Tripadvisor traveler reviews of 105 Bandol restaurants and search by cuisine, price, location, and more. Hecht & Bannier 2019 Rosé (Côtes de Provence); $20, 90 points. Buy a Priority Wine Pass today to receive Complimentary and discounted tastings. Bandol rosés are at the top of the rosé hierarchy. Bandol Rose The name Bandol is recognised by the decree of 11 November 1941. Having tasted Bandol, I can hardly blame them. Expect strawberry, melon and rose aromas and a satisfying mouth-coating from the gentle tannins. Warm evenings on the front porch or perhaps the back deck are a great time of year for Rosé wine. Bunan, Ch. Pair it with a niçoise salad. If having capacity to age is one of the criteria for assessing quality, then this wins by a country mile. By contrast, the anonymity that cloaks Bandol can be chalked up to nothing but neglect, since its quality and pedigree far outstrip its neighbors and, when in true form, approach that of its Bordelais and Burgundian countrymen. Such are the Rosés from Provence. But don’t despair: unless you’re a sommelier of some sophistication or, like me, you stumbled into dumb luck while vacationing in Provence, you’re not likely to have ever heard of a tiny seaside region called Bandol. After ringing me up, the shop owner held the bottle firmly in his hand and waived his finger at me in warning. Bandol’s lack of renown can’t be explained by its size. And if they have and they still hate rosés, I ask them if they’ve every tried a Bandol rosé. It’s good for the year at 250 California wineries. Pure Provence, made for the style-conscious, you get gentle fruit flavours (raspberry and peach, in particular) with a hint of watermelon and a good dose of minerality to even it all out. Bandol natives like to describe their wines as having aromas of leather, undergrowth, Havana, and minerality, with flavors of black fruit, eucalyptus, violet and liquorice when young and red fruit, Morello cherry, jam, spices, truffle and hummus when aged. While the rosé of Bandol is fantastic, Braun is especially drawn to the region’s reds. One thing that distinguishes … The Bay Area is experiencing an unseasonable hot spell. When my fellow Americans tell me they hate rosés (as they almost always do), I ask them if they’ve ever tried a French rosé. Dining in Bandol, French Riviera - Cote d'Azur: See 19,693 Tripadvisor traveller reviews of 105 Bandol restaurants and search by cuisine, price, location, and more. Why spend hundred on tastings when you can taste for less or for free with The Priority Wine Pass. Goes nicely with soft cheeses like Brie, which take the edge off and bring out the fruitier elements. If you like the peach and honey flavors of Moscato wine, look for a pink Moscato Rosé. 10 of the Best Rosés of 2020, to Keep Summer Going | Esquire There is a mandatory aging of 18 months in oak and many find the wines similar to those of Bandol. A salmon pink and copper color. Rose’s are made around the world, but, when I think Rosé, I think Provence, France. In Bandol especially, the rosés are the top wines, more sought-after than either the whites or reds (as good as they both are). Domaine Tempier, Bandol, €24 a bottle Saving the best to last Domaine Tempier is the reference Domaine for Bandol and its rosé is unsurprisingly one of the best in the world. You come to find he and his wife own the place, and he’s in the middle of crushing grapes, but he’d be glad to have you taste whatever you like. Bandol has this strange tendency to go through odd phases in its maturity: during the first four years it will be drinkable but aggressive, then it will undergo a stage in which the flavor drops out and the wine tastes imbalanced, but after year six or seven it will become more interesting, complex, and approachable. Contact me at [email protected]. Domaine Tempier is the best-known producer but there is a remarkably high general standard among Bandol producers including Domaine de la Bégude, Châteaux La Rouvière, Pibarnon, Pradeaux, Domaine la Tour du Bon and Château Vannières. The Bunan family moved to Bandol from Algeria in 1961 attracted by the geography and the climate, and have been making a wide range of ever improving wines – white, rosé and several reds - … Made from 1st choice grapes of Mourvedre, Cinsault and Grenache from their organic vineyards and made with the direct press method. Provence Rosés: A Summer Staple from Southern France. Bone dry, you get fiendishly delicate flavours and acidity that, whilst certainly there, is balanced to perfection so that you barely notice it. Regulations are strict: only hillside plots with a density of at least 5,000 wines per hectare are included in the AOC, the wines must be aged in oak for 18 months prior to release, and growers are expected to express their commitment to low yields by implementing Bandol’s “one vine, one bottle” policy with vigorous pruning. This isn’t true for every Bandol, but nonetheless it’s worth making an effort to serve it before four or (even better) after six years of aging, if possible. If you are a wine lover, wine connoisseur, wine aficionado or even if you just like to have a couple of glasses on a Friday night, it soon becomes obvious that there are some wines that are held in a higher esteem in the wine world. Both are from Provence, more specifically Ott is from Côtes de Provence and Pibarnon from Bandol. We suggest trying it with white fish in a beurre blanc or even with some chorizo. Its ferrous minerality will play well off rare beef, or even steak tartare." If they haven’t, we drop everything and go to my house, where they discover that rosés from Bandol are everything rosés should be—dry, crisp, spicy and herbaceous, with strong minerality and a long, clean finish that resonates in the mouth and gladdens the heart. Many wines delight, but Bandol rosé has the potential to redeem (if not your soul, at least your palate). Beautiful as an aperitif, but equally stands up well to both salt and spice if you want to make an evening with it. Survey the bottles of blush pinch-hitting for rouge in wine enthusiasts’ lineups these days, and you’ll find a predominance of wine from. Then again, perhaps our Provencal and Provencophile friends purposefully “forget” to mention Bandol when regaling us of the virtues of the Côte d’Azur, hoping we might unwittingly blip past the spectacular hillside vineyards of le Beausset and le Castellet while zipping from bouillabaisse in Marseille to casinos in Monte Carlo. With an average price of $7, Mateus is easily the most inexpensive wine on this list. Pure class. Here is a list of 75 wines from France that make up that category. This is 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 20% Cinsault. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be on the list. Let’s face it, the wild proliferation of celebrity wine brands only serves to make most of us more cynical (and often with just cause). After all, if the opportunity presents itself, go for it. The fifth noble wine poses a greater challenge—one that may well stump even the savviest among us. The reds are ripe and lush enough to be enjoyed in youth but the best also have the capacity for long ageing. Esquire participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Whenever popping the cork of a young Bandol, be sure to let it decant an hour or two before serving. Summertime is finally about here. Mourvedre / Cinsault. Pretend it’s still sunny with these all-year-round rosés. But it’s worth remembering that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s wines, from Château Miravel in Provence, are actually rather good. Sometimes it’s because the wine is just that good. The wine itself (Chateau Rasque Rosé) was technically average, but on that occasion it was perfect. The Rosebud rosé is always a treat, and the 2019 blend has 58% of peppery Syrah matched by 42% of the more fragrant Viognier. Now whilst this isn’t strictly a rosé wine, I … From gently-hued Provençal-style rosés to accompany salads and lighter dishes, to brighter and spicier examples robust enough to stand up to richer, more flavourful foods, there is a rosé for every occasion. Ample sun and scarce rain (which, when it does fall, is blown away by the infamous Mistral winds, thereby preventing rot) gives the late-maturing mourvèdre the time it needs to ripen. Most people know mourvèdre as a character actor who pops in and out of wines dominated by celebrities like syrah and grenache. Wine has been made in Bandol since the Phoenicians planted the first vines 2,500 years ago. Location: Provence, France (between Marseille and Toulon)Size: 1,500 hectares (≈3,750 acres) of vineyardsProduction: 60,000 cases per vintagePrinciple grapes: mourvèdre (at least 51% in reds), cinsault, grenacheRecommended vintages: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 (rosés)Recommended winemakers: Dom. By some accounts (and in this humble reviewer’s opinion), Bandol rosés are the best in the world, bar none. With only 20,000 bottles available of this first edition of a top-secret five-year project, you’ll have to be quick (and feeling somewhat flush) to get your hands on one. When you’ve finished, your only dilemmas are how many bottles of that rock star 2001 to buy and whether to head down the road to the next domaine and keep tasting or instead to pop the cork of a fresh rosé and enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountainous terrain and rolling vineyards from the winery’s terrace. In my. But Bandol’s scarcity should only elevate its market value—just ask the fortunate few who have managed to taste Screaming Eagle or Chateau Le Pin. Arguably the best Rose made today. But that’s only four. The first addition to Bollinger’s permanent line in 12 years, this is a sparkling rosé wine made solely from Pinot Noir grapes (one of the three varieties typically combined to make Champagnes – the others are Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier) mainly from the village of Verzenay and harvested in 2015 – hence the name. Tempier, Ch. Certainly, it is right up there with a rich track record. This sparkling rosé, made exclusively for Great Britain’s oldest wine merchants, Berry Bros & Rudd is, true to the Hampshire-based winery’s signature style, incredibly crisp, with tart red fruit flavours and the notable tang of citrus. The Fourth of July witnessed blistering temperatures around California, and this time the Bay Area was no exception. Bandol Bandol is an appellation created in 1941,although viticulture here goes back to before the Romans,for red,rose and white wines from 8 communes around the Mediterranean seaside town of that name between Toulon and Marseilles. The warm (often hot) Mediterranean climate creates an ideal ecological environment for Bandol’s roi cépage (“king grape”), mourvèdre. [I should note that Bandol produces a small amount of white wine made primarily from clairette, bourboulenc, ugni blanc and a few other French grapes no one’s ever heard of. Mourvèdre is the main varietal in both rosé and red along with Cinsault, Grenache, and a host of unusual grapes like Castet, Muscat de Hamburg, Petit Brun, and Téoulier. Pibarnon makes only three wines: a rosé (50 percent Mourvèdre and 50 percent Cinsault), a white (50 percent Clairette and 30 percent Bourboulenc) and a red (up to 95 percent Mourvèdre). Anyone who has (rightly) foresworn pink wine after a scrape with California white zinfandel should give it a try. A visit to a Bandol winery is a pleasant surprise, especially for those of us used to being herded through costly, impersonal tastings at Napa Valley conglomerates. But for every cutesy rosé “brand” out there, there are also producers who stress that their rosé is designed from the outset to be a rosé—as opposed to being a pink by-product of red wine production. Provençal rosé isn’t “light” on flavor. This column, which runs monthly, explores the lesser known wine regions of France. Sniff, Swirl, Sip, and Save with The Priority Wine Pass. This is the Provence of Bandol, a structured, sometimes ferocious, age-worthy red wine that is the antithesis of ephemeral rosé. And then, staring deep into my soul: “Forbidden.” While I don’t recommend opening a 2001 Bandol anytime within the next few years, other vintages are worth trying soon, even if they might improve with age. 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