Winemaker Notes
#75 of Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020
Aromas suggest licorice, cinnamon and Provençal garrigue. Complexly flavored and richly textured, with structured tannins; black fruits and baking spices.
Pairs well with beef short ribs with soy glaze and pork sausages withherbs.
Blend: 90% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Mocha, cola, earth and caramel notes appear on the nose of the 2016 Bandol, a blend of 90% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache. This is all dark fruit and savory nuance, full-bodied, richly concentrated, creamy and lush, yet it's chewy and tannic on the long, spicy finish. It can be consumed now with rare beef or lamb to help with the tannins, or be aged for up to 15 years.
-
Wine Spectator
A whiff of white pepper and bay leaf gives way to bright raspberry and currant flavors backed by tangy acidity, along with details of game, anise and tea that add depth and interest. Powerful but inviting. Mourvèdre and Grenache
Full of ripe fruit, and robust, earthy goodness, Mourvèdre is actually of Spanish provenance, where it still goes by the name Monastrell or Mataro. It is better associated however, with the Red Blends of the Rhône, namely Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Mourvèdre shines on its own in Bandol and is popular both as a single varietal wine in blends in the New World regions of Australia, California and Washington. Somm Secret—While Mourvèdre has been in California for many years, it didn’t gain momentum until the 1980s when a group of California winemakers inspired by the wines of the Rhône Valley finally began to renew a focus on it.
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.