Winemaker Notes
Deep ruby color, with licorice, leather, and spice notes which usher in a luscious, dark-fruited midplate filled with intense, hearty structure.
Blend: 70% Mourvèdre, 22% Cinsault, 5% Grenache, 3% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Canadel sits on an unusual vein of land in Bandol, where shifting tectonic plates pushed the Triassic layer to the surface. Laure Benoist and her husband, Vianney, tend 37 acres of vines rooted in this landscape of ancient limestone and clay, using biodynamic principles. Their 2017 rosé is meatier than you might expect from such a delicately copper-colored rosé, with a ferrous minerality driving its tangy cherry flavors. It lasts with a foresty coolness, a rosé for wild mushrooms or grilled meat.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
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.