| WHAT SETS APART BANDOL ROSÉ FROM OTHER PINK WINE? |
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There are some important differences between the rosé made under the Bandol appellation and those of other regions. In Bandol, grapes are all handpicked and at least 20% of them must be Mourvèdre. To guarantee ripeness and focus, yields are limited to 40 hectoliters per hectare. Côtes de Provence rosé – Bandol’s primary competitor for local supermarket shelf space – is cheaper but the yields are higher.
Another interesting fact that has a bearing on both colour and flavour is that most Bandol producers prefer to apply a light direct press to the grapes before removing the skins rather than using the saignée method, favoured in places such as Tavel, in which the juice is extracted from crushed grapes after a period of skin contact. The direct press method is basically the application of white winemaking principles to a wine with red-skinned grapes. It results in a lighter-hued wine and helps to bring out the delicate side of Mourvèdre’s tannic character.
While some of the 65 domaines make rosé with more than 80% Mourvèdre, others prefer to let the three principal actors play roles of equal importance. Mourvèdre offers complexity and structure; Grenache, the generosity of fresh fruit, and Cinsault, perfume. The presence of Mourvédre in Bandol rosés makes these wines more complex, structured and age worthy.
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The rosé has a classic Bandol profile, displaying a darker, brambly mineral quality, while the red exhibits the appellation’s classic black olive markers that integrate well with the black fruit.
Grapes: Mourvèdre 70 %, Grenache 25 %, Cinsault 5 %
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| The soft, ochre-tinged color is highly evocative of the sun-soaked Provençal countryside. Full of fruit with a touch of spice and citrus peel— balanced and structured.
Grapes: 36% Mourvèdre 32% Cinsault 25% Grenache 7% Clairette
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| The Bandol Rosé from Pradeaux is perhaps the most serious wine in this category. Robust, rich, and complex with an ability to age gracefully, this wine is based on Cinsault (50%) and Mourvèdre (50%), taking its slight orange tint from the latter cépage. The younger vines of the domaine (average age: 25 years) are utilized to produce a rare rosé with staying power and exceptional complexity. The Rosé is vinified by a direct pressing for 24 hours followed by fermentation in cement tanks at a controlled temperature of 18 degrees Celsius for about 15 days; the malo-lactic fermentation is blocked and the wine is usually bottled in mid-April of the following year.
Grapes: 50% Cinsault, 50% Mourvèdre
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| Terrebrune’s Bandol epitomizes this idea of a terroir-driven rosé, from the nose of thyme and white peach, redolent of a Provençal summer, to its mouthwateringly salty finish, a reminder that the sea is just a stone’s throw away. For conclusive evidence that this is no ordinary rosé, save a bottle for five, ten, or twenty years—a pleasant surprise awaits.
Grape: 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 25% Cinsault
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| The vineyards are composed of both clay and limestone, imparting a pronounced structure of earthy, splintered rock. This microclimate near the Mediterranean brings warm weather and full sun, tempered by the persistent Mistral. Alain leaves his grapes to mature fully on the vine, lending great intensity to the fruit. Where appellation law demands that each blend includes at least 50 percent Mourvèdre, Alain uses 80 percent—a choice that gives more power and concentration to the final assemblage. Do not be fooled by the strength and boldness of the Gros ‘Noré Bandol, though; underneath a big exterior is a wine of character, depth, complexity, soul, and finesse.
Grapes: 54% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault, 19% Grenache, 2% Clairette
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| The rose is a blend of Mourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan, made from grapes from the property’s younger vines; this is a fuller, medium-bodied rose with great structure and complexity and a long dry finish. A truly iconic producer whose wines are the first that come to mind in a conversation about Bandol! |
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