Winemaker Notes
The Cuvée Classique blend combines grapes from the estate’s different terroirs. In the area known as ‘Le Petit Moulin de la Cadière’, named after its windmill, the vines grow on south-facing terraces stretching out over hilly terrain. The soil in this part of the vineyard is characterized by the presence of fossilized seashells (85 million-year-old bivalve mollusks). Clay is found to varying depths throughout the estate’s soil and, although the clay is quite dense, alluvial layers comprised of silt-sand sediment deposits are also present. One might think these looser layers in the soil would have little influence on the wine, but in fact, they provide excellent drainage which helps to produce very refined wines.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine & Spirits
While many French regions suffered from the heat in 2015, Daniel Ravier reports that Bandol’s vines were sustained by abundant winter rains, providing enough soil moisture to make it through the heat. His 2015 is sunny and generous in fragrant berry fruit, but it also radiates freshness. The flavors feel like they are delivered by herb-scented breeze, they so subtly and gently fill the head with fragrance. Mourvèdre’s power reads in the wine’s leather and smoke scents, but there’s nothing rustic about this: It’s long, elegant and totally delicious, and should develop for another decade at least.
-
James Suckling
Beautiful aromas of minerals, stones, roses and fresh strawberry. Some citrus too. Full body, yet agile and fresh with light cantaloupe lemon rind, white pepper and dried cherry flavors.
-
Wine Spectator
Beautiful aromas of minerals, stones, roses and fresh strawberry. Some citrus too. Full body, yet agile and fresh with light cantaloupe lemon rind, white pepper and dried cherry flavors.
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.