Region · Provence, France
Bandol
bahn-DOLL
Mourvèdre and the sea
Provence's serious red (and serious rosé): Mourvèdre on terraced south-facing slopes, aged in foudre, built for the cellar.
- black fruit
- leather
- garrigue
- game
- violet
AOC rules demand high Mourvèdre in the red. The wines are tannic, floral, and animal in youth, then cedar and dried herbs with time. Rosé here is gastronomic, not pool-pale by obligation.
If Provence rosé is the postcard, Bandol is the novel.
Daube, grilled lamb, and aged goat cheese.
At the table
Service
Red 61–64 °F (16–18 °C), decanted; rosé 48–52 °F (9–11 °C).
