Winemaker Notes
This precise, mineral blend of Clairette, Ugni Blanc, and Bourboulenc displays an ethereal perfume reminiscent of blossoming flowers with a hint of fennel, making it immediately irresistible.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of Clairette, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Rolle and Marsanne, the 2024 Bandol Blanc from Domaine de Terrebrune opens with a delicate, floral bouquet of spring flowers, jasmine, broom and citrus. Medium- to full-bodied, lively and precise, it’s pure and tensile, framed by bright acids and concluding with a saline finish that reflects its calcareous soils. This is a graceful, age-worthy white that should evolve beautifully over the next decade.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
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.