Winemaker Notes
#86 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019
There is a rose and then there is Bandol rose. Bright and high-toned. Loads of blood orange, mango, cherry pit, fleur de sel and Provencal herbs. Blend: Mourvèdre 52%, Grenache 13.5%, Cinsault 34.5%.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Charles Bieler may get the most press for pushing the boundaries of the wine world with his Tetra-Pak and kegged-wine projects, but his roots extend deep in Provence, where his father began making wine in the early 1980s. Bieler pulls this wine from vineyards in Le Castellet, lifting the deep, meaty bass notes of mourvèdre with the redder fruit of grenache and cinsault. It’s firm and fresh, with a garrigue-like spice that’s hunger-inducing.
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Wine Spectator
Supple white raspberry and tangerine notes are supported by steely acidity, with heather, wild herb and mineral notes carrying through the spicy, savory-driven finish.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Provence’s leader in concentrated and age-worthy red wines, Bandol is home to the dense, deep and earthy Mourvèdre grape. Like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Bandol produces characterful reds that, while approachable in their youth, are typically designed for the cellar.
Given its coastal, Provencal situation, Bandol also naturally produces an assortment of charming, aromatic rosés made of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Cinsault.