BANDOL ROSÉS

I have been tasting and drinking Rosés every year for decades. But the real story here is that 2019 is an absolutely great vintage for French Rosés across the board. Like many things, the 2019 French Rosés have been arriving late this year. But I have been working overtime tasting them and as of this writing I have already tasted dozens of different ones with still more to go. So my article will be done in several parts.  Part 1 of the series on 2019 Rosés is presented here and features the Extraordinary 2019 Bandol Rosés. Part 2 will feature great 2019 French Rosé bargains (and, to be sure, there are many great bargains with some priced in the single digits!). Part 3 will feature more notes on 2019 French Rosés as well as notes on a few really delicious 2019 Italian Rosatos, a lovely 2019 Austrian Rosé, a delicious Portuguese Rosé, and a lovely 2019 German Rosé. Finally, Part 4 will feature many more really great and delicious 2019 French Rosés.  Also, as is the case every year, I did find great 2019 California Rosés from Tablas Creek which were released earlier this year. In particular, I would mention the 2019 Tablas Creek Vineyard Dianthus Rosé which is the greatest California Rosé I have ever had (to read that article click here). But, in general, most California Rosés are not that interesting. Many are made as a result of bleeding off the juice to give red wines more concentration and lack depth, flavor, and complexity which I find to be a predominant characteristic of most California Rosés. And, with such a great abundance of really stunning French Rosés every year, as well as many great bargains, most California Rosés just do not make sense.

So as we move into fall there are a lot of Rosés on the market and it is time to make sure you have a good supply of 2019 Rosés to last until the 2020s start to arrive next spring and summer. However, if you do have more 2019 Rosés than you can drink by next spring, there is no reason to worry. Well cellared Rosés can age beautifully and I regularly drink Rosés that are several years old. And especially good are the older Bandol Rosés. In warm weather with lighter foods, there is really nothing like a great Rosé! And they also go really well with the traditional food served over the year-end holidays. At our house, the holidays would not be the same without a generous supply of Rosé!

Bandol is a wine area of less than 4,000 acres centered around the Mediterranean coastal town of Bandol. This area has a unique microclimate next to the coast that is very warm and sunny and protected from the northern winds. Most of the production here is red wine which is mostly based on Mourvèdre. Bandol Rosés account for about a third of the area’s production and are very flavorful. They are made from blends that are dominated by Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Cinsault. Delicious young, they are also among the most age-worthy of all rosé wines and continue to evolve over many years. Without question, Bandol Rosés are consistently some of the best rosés in the world. And, the 2019s are really gorgeous! In fact, as a group, they are the best I have ever tasted.  I tasted these 6 Bandol Rosés several times over several weeks. I kept separate notes on each tasting. At the end of the day, the differences were so subtle that I lined them all up and tasted them again several times blind. And, having done that I concluded that all of them were equally great. These 2019 Bandol Rosés are really Extraordinary. So again, as a group, I have never tasted better Bandol Rosés. If you love Rosé as I do then do yourself a favor and try all of these great 2019 Bandol Rosés.

 

2019  Domaine de la Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé
This 28 ha. estate in the village of Le Castellet is located just north of the beaches of Bandol.  The rosé  is made with a very high percentage of Mourvèdre up to 75%, along with Grenache and Cinsault.
With a very light reddish-pink color, the wine has a gorgeous perfume of cherries, faintly floral with exotic spice nuances.  It has lovely fruit, balanced, very elegant, lush, and supple, with cherry nuances, a floral and citrus undertone, and a crisp finish.  This is a delicious, stunning rosé — Extraordinary.     $25     Imported by Weygandt-Metzler   Unionville, PA and Beaune Imports   Berkeley, CA

  

2019 Domaine du Gros’ Noré Bandol Rosé
This estate consists of some 36 acres of vines over 35 years old. The vineyards are located only a few hundred yards from those of Domaine Tempier. The wine is made from 40% Mourvèdre, 40% Cinsault, and 20% Grenache. For many years Alain Pascal and his father sold their fruit to Domaine Ott and Chateau de Pibarnon. After his father’s death, Alain named the estate for his father, Honoré Gros Nore, which means Big Honoré with the name Honoré shortened to Noré. Honoré was a giant of a man and Pascal is cut from the same mold. The first wines were made here beginning with the 1997 vintage. Having said that, the Domaine has already established itself as one of the best and most consistent producers of Bandol Rosé.
Very light orange-gold color this rosé has a great perfume interlaced with exotic, floral, and spice nuances and hints of orange and mango. With great fruit, flavor, and intensity, it has impeccable balance, with floral and exotic nuances, hints of apricot and orange, and an underlying crisp finish. This is a really stunning, very great rosé, a must buy!!  Make no mistake, this is one of the greatest Rosés I have ever tasted from this Domaine and over time I have had more than my fair share – Extraordinary.    $37     Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant  Berkeley, CA

2019 Domaine de la Tour du Bon Bandol Rosé
This domaine sits atop a limestone plateau in Le Brulat du Castellet in the northwest corner of AOC Bandol, nestled beneath the mountains to the north. The vines here average nearly 40 years of age. The blend of grapes can vary from year to year but typically consists of 10% Grenache, 32% Cinsault, 50% Mourvèdre, and 8% Clairette.
With a pale orange color showing a golden hue this rosé has a deep, exotic, floral perfume with tropical and spice nuances.  It has great fruit, lush and supple, lots of flavor, exotic floral and tropical tones. It is elegant, yet with intensity and lots of fruit, beautifully balanced, with a nice underlying crispness on the finish. This is a delicious, stunning Bandol Rosé – Extraordinary.       $35         Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant  Berkeley, CA

 

2019 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé
This property, which lies between Marseilles and Toulon on the hillside of a natural amphitheater and runs down to the shore of the Mediterranean, has been owned by the Tempier family since 1834. They won their first gold medal in 1885 so they have a long track record of excellence. And, year in and year out for as long as I can remember, this rosé is superb. It combines complexity with finesse and flavor in a way that defines the very best rosés. And, it ages very well and after a few years develops even more complexity. This is a wine I buy every year and during the year I often drink old ones. They drink beautifully young or old.
Made with 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 20% Cinsault grapes, which are grown on vines that average over 20 years of age,
this rosé has a golden amber color with a golden edge and a gorgeous perfume, floral and exotic. On the palate, it has great complex flavors with hints of berries and cherries, and floral, faintly herbal, spicy nuances. With lots of fruit, it is very full, supple, and rich and is impeccably balanced with a subtle underlying crispness on the long finish.  This is a really stunning Rosé. Drink it now or layaway for memorable drinking for many years to come – Extraordinary.      $56       Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant  Berkeley, CA

  

 2019 Domaine de Terrebrune Bandol Rosé
This domaine in Ollioules, just east of Bandol, is framed by the Mediterranean and the mountain called Gros Cerveau.  Made from grapes grown on 13-year-old vines, it consists of 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 25% Cinsault.
Very pale orange-pink color with a golden hue. It has a gorgeous floral and spice perfume with exotic nuances.  Very elegant, yet very flavorful, it is lovely with exotic fruit that hints of mango, with a floral undertone.  Finesseful and beautifully balanced, with very pure fruit showing faint hints of apricot and mango, it has a long, lingering, citrus- tinged finish.  Wow!! This is a stunning, very delicious rosé – Extraordinary.      $39        Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant  Berkeley, CA

2019 Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé
This estate has been owned by the Comte Henri de Saint-Victor and family for the last 40 years. It is situated at the top of La Colline du Télégraphe in the northernmost part of Bandol in an amphitheater of vines near the Mediterranean Sea. This area receives some 300 days of sunshine per year and the vines here are over 40 years old. This rosé is made from 65% Mourvèdre and 35% Cinsault.
Very light orange in color with a golden hue and golden edge, the wine has a great perfume of exotic floral nuances with mango and pear undertones.  It has lots of exotic-tinged fruit and is full, rich and lovely, with great balance and structure ending in a long finish.  This is a great rosé – Extraordinary.      $37        Imported by Michael Skurnik Wines    New York, NY