Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Château Romassan sits at the foot of the hilltop village Le Castellet, a few miles north of the Bay of Bandol. The Otts rely on mourvèdre for the bulk of their rosé (this one includes 30 percent cinsault and 15 percent grenache), and, though 2021 was another hot summer here, Romassan’s poor limestone and sandstone soils produced a deeply savory wine. This pale Bandol seems to have inhaled the local scrubland and seaside breezes, presenting that savory edge alongside husk cherry, grapefruit and pale melon flavors. Firm and versatile, it would pair nicely with anything from bouillabaisse to a Niçoise salad; or take it abroad alongside chicken yakitori.
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Wine Spectator
Very juicy yet restrained in style, with a core of peach, jasmine, white cherry and rosemary backed by a long finish, which ripples with a wet stone note. Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Grenache. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Mainly Mourvèdre, with smaller proportions of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, the 2021 Bandol Rose Chateau Romassan is coppery in hue. Offering up hints of crushed stone alongside peach, melon and lime, it's nicely balanced and easy to drink but also long, zesty-briny and stony on the 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.