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Macho Mourvèdre:
Bandol day trip April 2003
'Le rond-point des Mourvèdres.' Magnificent, a roundabout dedicated to Mourvèdre: must be a good omen. This scene-setting postage-stamp vineyard, which
is difficult to ignore if you take motorway exit 11 'La Cadière-Le
Castellet' to the north of Bandol, lets you know immediately who’s
boss around here. For majestic mythical Mourvèdre shapes not only the
heart of the appellation on paper but also winegrowers' hearts and
minds.
 The Bandol AOC
(appellation d'origine contrôlée),
snuggling comfortably between Marseille and Toulon, takes in a handful
of villages located on the high ground forming a sweeping arena around
the town. These include Bandol, Sanary, Le Castellet, La Cadière d’Azur
and parts of St-Cyr sur Mer, le Beausset, Evenos and Ollioules.
Everything else on the flatter areas is classified Côtes de Provence or
Vin de Pays. It’s perhaps curious to note that Bandol itself houses
few producers, and virtually no vines, and certainly none of the best ones. The region is made up of lots
of mostly small properties, some of which, I’m told, are newcomers such as Domaine du Gros’Noré
(not entirely true, he's been a grower here for many years but has only
recently started selling his own wines) or were resurrected by ‘new money’ like Château de
Pibarnon (relatively: the owner’s been there for 25 years). However, the
latter and Domaines Bunan are in fact quite large and were two of three
growers I visited on an uncharacteristically grey day back in early
April 2003.
First stop was
Moulin des Costes (83740 La Cadière d’Azur, 04 94 98 58 98,
www.bunan.com), the seat of the
Bunan family empire comprising this and three other estates that
collectively create Domaines Bunan. I was welcomed by Paul, sitting
godfather-like at his desk just through the office front door. He was a
touch perturbed as apparently he didn’t know about my visit until that
morning, so called his son Laurent - who did and is on the way - and
daughter Françoise, who sounded charming on the phone (she looks after
PR) and was in Marseille today. In the meantime, Paul filled me in on some
interesting background information on their company and the appellation
generally. His brother Pierre, who I met later out in the vineyards, is
also part-owner and actively involved.
They have
essentially two major vineyard areas in AOC Bandol. Moulin des Costes,
located in La Cadière, covers some 25 hectares (60 acres) of steep, very stoney
terraces with clay-chalk soils. Château la Rouvière and Mas de la
Rouvière are two neighbouring but distinct plots across the other side
of the valley
near the village of Le Castellet, where arguably their best wines come from (actually the
only ones they showed in the tasting, not sure if I should have read
something into that...). Both are composed of limestone,
sandstone and marl but the Mas has newer vines and a small proportion of
Syrah planted as well. Not far from here you’ll also find their extensive Domaine du
Bélouvé, which produces mostly Côtes de Provence and varietal vin de
pays,
bringing the family’s total to over 60 ha of Bandol and 80 ha of other.
As befits an
appellation claiming high quality status, Bandol isn’t so sizeable
totalling around 1400 ha (about 3450 acres, different written sources and opinions vary as
to its actual size): just a shade more than Margaux but less than
half of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, for example. In liquid terms about 4.7 million litres
(520,000 cases of 12) were produced in 2002, a little less than usual
thanks to yields of thirty-three hectolitres per ha due to challenging
weather conditions. The maximum for AOC
is technically forty, which I was told "is always undershot." Then again, we know how
French growers like to boast about modesty of yields (and without saying
how they're actually measured). Typically green-harvesting is done in
July/August to remove excessive bunches (and I assume on top of
judicious pruning and trimming besides).
The second aim
of this is to get the remaining grapes "very ripe at harvest, at 14-15° potential with
no chaptalisation" (I should hope not this far south, where I believe
it’s not permitted anyway). “We want good tannin ripeness too,” Paul
explained, “so we get rich colour and roundness, although these are vins de
garde (for keeping)… it’s the quality of the
terroir and grower that counts,”
re-emphasising that volume isn’t of interest here. I accidentally dropped
the term 'Midi' into the conversation, trying to describe the south in
general, but was rightly rebuked for ‘vin du Midi’ is considered a
pejorative term. “It’s also rarer to get a great red wine this close to the sea,”
he concluded.
Bandol’s
reputation for reds clearly stems from estates like this, as on average
the AOC actually produces 65-70% rosé wines, which can be serious, full
and fruity, and 5% of sometimes uninspiring whites. Bunan make 60% red wines,
35% rosé and 5% white; Domaine Tempier nearer 65-70% red, up to 30% rosé
and only 3% white; and at Château de Pibarnon the proportions are
similar focusing primarily on red then rosé.
Laurent
arrived and was happy to show me around their vineyards, despite limping
heavily and clearly in pain (from a skiing accident) getting in and out
of the car. Moulin des Costes rests on a hill made up of "very old soils"
laden with flat rectangular stones; a little further beyond here the soil contains
more clay. There’s 60% Mourvèdre here, old and new plantings together,
tended in gobelets (traditional bush vine pruning). The Cinsault and Grenache are planted to double
cordon royat here: "gobelet is preferred but Cinsault can perform better if
lifted up a bit on a wire," achieving 30 hl/ha and very good degree of
ripeness. The Bunan’s vineyards aren’t farmed organically but they don’t
use systemic chemicals or fertilisers: “The soil’s very important for
the grapes, for ripening.”
Château la
Rouvière red, their top of the range, is typically enriched with
over 90% Mourvèdre, which grows on old walled terraces where there are
fewer stones and the soil is shallower. This is nevertheless worked five
or six times per year to aerate it. During vinification, pigeage
(plunging) is done
in wooden tronconique vats (wider at the top than bottom) to enhance extraction with maceration time
running from 15 to 20-35 days for the top cuvées, which "works due to the
ripeness of tannins" achieved. As Laurent reminded me again: “we like very
ripe grapes!” The wines spend 18-24 months in oak starting in large foudres
(tuns) and rounded off "briefly" in barriques.
As already
mentioned, yields were lower in 2002 with later picking so the grapes
were properly ripe and in good condition; the weather was a bit kinder here
with less rain than elsewhere in France (e.g. it was a bit of a disaster
in the southern Rhone and eastern Languedoc). 2001 was also a tricky vintage,
maturity coming very quickly and with it 15-16° if you weren’t careful;
but those who got it right reaped the rewards of some superb wines.
2000 was very ripe producing big wines with more cooked fruit
characters; 1999 gave higher acidity and perhaps better balance. 1998 is
on the whole pretty classic too.
We
finished the tour by tasting these Bunan wines: Château la Rouvière Blanc de Blancs
2001 made from Clairette Pointue, actually quite good; two lovely 2002
rosés - the Mas and Château - the latter more serious with 50% Mourvèdre
and 14% alcohol; 99 Mas red - "used by Le Gavroche as their vin de
chasse," I was told (I take that to mean the wine they recommend
with wild game in season rather than the one the owner fuels up on while
wielding a shotgun) - showing chunky concentration and structure; and the splendid
2000 Château red - 95% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah - with lots of ripe black
fruits, power, grip and depth. You'll find my full notes and ratings in
a separate paragraph below.
The next
visit was to well-known Château de Pibarnon (Chemin de la Croix des
Signaux, 83740 La Cadière d’Azur, 04 94 90 12 73); actually located next
door to the Bunans in terms of bordering vineyards, but the only way
there by car is to take the windy road all the way down again, around
and back up the hill. Eric de Saint Victor and his father Henri, the
Comte in fact, were suitably attired in blue jackets, light chinos and
smart shirts with no tie, as you might expect for laid-back former aristos who live in the south. We jump into Eric’s 4x4 for a quick tour
of Pibarnon’s vineyards, which lie on some of the appellation's highest slopes
at 300 metres above the town of Bandol. Again the soils are composed of
rocky clay and chalk but particularly chalky here (18-33%), which they
believe helps to tame Mourvèdre that makes up +90% of
their red wine. As Eric put it: “It’s very macho, on this soil we
manage to make something quite fine.”
In 1989-90,
the Saint Victors rebuilt the terraces recreating a kind of amphitheatre
facing south-east, quite sheltered from the powerful Mistral
winds. This was a crucial part of the step-by-step restoration of the
estate started by Eric’s father in the late 1970s. It was gradually
expanded to 50 ha by fermage,
leasing then buying one parcel after another. Up here "the climate is
very Mediterranean; 20 km inland it’s much more continental." So it gets
just hot enough to ripen Mourvèdre properly, picked late but with less
of a
worry about possible problems from rot. “You can’t make ‘modern’ wines
easily with Mourvèdre, it’s a good growers’ grape,” Eric continued.
“There’s a big difference between Mourvèdre on acidic and chalky soils;
on chalk it gives more structure and elegance.”
To prove the
point, we adjourn to the cellar to taste some wines (see opposite) including 2001
& 2002 reds from cask. "Mourvèdre often shows its primary fruit for
longer, for over a year then it closes up," Eric said. The 2001 from cask did
exemplify this, offering lovely fruit set against real depth and firm
grip but rounded too. I commented that it "makes a nice change not to see
piles of expensive new oak barrels," the norm here being mostly large old
foudres. They’re experimenting a bit with new oak and barriques, but
“the problem with Mourvèdre is that it’s very aromatic (and tannic),”
Henri explained, “adding oak loses the Pibarnon character. It would taste
too much like Médoc or Graves.”
 The Château is
surrounded by several unique parcels; the cuvées from each are kept
separate until later, while some are only used for rosé. 2001 ‘Bel Air’ (from
cask) was tighter, less obviously fruity, quite firm but elegant too.
2001 ‘barrique’ showed spice and vanilla but concentration and firm
textured tannins, in fact more so. The 2002 ‘Gd. Haut’ (from vat) was
very fruity and aromatic, actually has a lot of tannin but not
aggressive displaying nice fruit v structure. This will go back into
wood; they’re reorganising the cellar and about to take out the 2001s.
The 2002 ‘Pointes Blanches’ - the spot "at the limit" in terms of chalk
content, otherwise chlorosis can be a problem (where the chalk
interferes with the plant's iron uptake leading to anaemic leaves and
sometimes drastically reduced photosynthesis) - had deeper colour, less
aromatic fruit, more weight and structure with power and grip (‘wow’ in
fact). ‘Jourdan’ was more elegant with tangy fruit; and finally the 2002
press wine was pretty decent, not too tannic surprisingly.
Over lunch (lovingly prepared by Mme de Saint Victor), I got the chance to
compare their 2001 & 2002 rosés and taste four vintages of Pibarnon red,
which all provoked a lively discussion on food and wine matching, among
other things. We agreed the 01 rosé worked better than the 02 with the sea
bream; the latter was very zingy and an attractive aperitif but needs to
settle down a little. “The rosés here are very good with local food such
as anchovies, sea urchin and mullet,” Catherine expanded. “Rosé used to
be a hard sell in France, now sales have rocketed. And they also go with
ethnic cuisine: it’s a modern wine!” Eric added. The 2000 red, his first
vintage overseeing the winemaking, showed very good potential; the powerhouse 97
beginning to turn sweet and herby; 95 soft and mature; and the
highlight, the deliciously complex 1990. They told me Bandol goes well
with pigeon (the French aren't very bird squeamish), and these reds certainly
did taste good with the succulent duck
at lunch.
We talked
further about Bandol in the context of competition with wines from
elsewhere in France and the world. Henri took Australia as an
ill-advised example: “they don’t evolve in the glass, which is what
makes a wine particularly suitable for restaurants.” I agreed with the
principle but argued, a little more than half-heartedly, there are indeed many Oz wines that
complement food well. We moved on to comparisons with Bordeaux, as Henri
amusingly quoted a facetious yet flattering quip by the French magazine
Le Nouvel Observateur. “Château Latour, c’est le Pibarnon de Pauillac,”
which at least says something about the reputation they’ve achieved.
“When English restaurants don’t want to or can’t pay for top Bordeaux,
Bandol is a quarter of the price but still offers complex flavours,
tannins and depth,” he continued responding to criticism that these
wines are quite expensive.
The
conversation inevitably returned to treasured Mourvèdre, perhaps because
somebody had fetched a jug of chilled 2002 red from the vat, which
matches the raspberry tart wonderfully! Their rosé is made by ‘bleeding’
the vat, which also concentrates the Mourvèdre for the reds, but you
have to be careful otherwise they can become too tough. “We have to have
a heart-attack to create Mourvèdre,” Henri stressed, like in a Greek
drama.
Eric dropped me
off at Domaine Tempier (1082 Chemin des Fanges 83330, 04 94 98 70 21,
www.domainetempier.com), a little later than the itinerary, and
apologised for “accumulating a couple of Provençal quarter of an hours.”
Daniel Ravier, manager and winemaker at this lower-lying estate located
in Le Plan du Castellet, shrugged without batting an eyelid: “it happens.” Tempier is owned by the Peyraud family, and it was Lucien who, as
president of the growers’ Syndicat back in the early days, pushed for Mourvèdre to become the main variety (re)planted
and hence backbone of the AoC. "He was proved right twenty years later: more difficult to grow,
less grapes but much better wine." Daniel has been here for 10 years; the Peyrauds wanted someone from outside the family but who’d continue in
the same spirit. The Domaine extends to 30 ha, mostly owned but with two
sites under fermage.
Without
further ado, we proceeded to tasting Tempier’s whites and rosés, 2002 &
2001 reds from cask then 2000s in bottle (see opposite). The white grapes - Clairette, Ugni Blanc,
Bourboulenc - are actually picked last as they’re planted in cooler
spots, and it shows with 13.8% adding weight to the 01 white. From 2002
vintage Daniel started using some new foudres for whites. The 01 rosé
just had the edge on the 02 as it’d developed nicely; both contained 50% Mourvèdre and underwent the
malo-lactic fermentation (MLF: converts sharper malic acid to softer
lactic), which is “philosophical not technical,
I think the terroir comes through better and it gives more body.”
Daniel started
buzzing around the cellar drawing off samples of reds from cask after
cask; I struggled to keep up, in addition to him talking very quickly.
For the basic 2002 red he did one pump-over per day with 3 weeks
maceration, as “I don’t want a forceful extraction. We don’t get the
finesse of Pibarnon but do keep the balance.” This blend has less Mourvèdre and is aged in used 50 hl wooden vats. The ‘Cuvée Classique’
also originates from quite young vines but is richer and more
structured; it’s aged in 16 hl new foudres. Daniel has started renewing
the casks “to add that missing something - c’est pas net (could mean not
clean or marked/distinct).” He doesn’t fine or filter; the 2001s were
racked four times, more than usual, which he thinks is the way forward
for them: “…in large vats at the limit of reduction.”
Daniel recalled
2002 being the longest and hardest vintage in 15 years, and at this
stage seemed pretty good and more forward. We then tasted ‘la Migoua’, a
single vineyard located at over 200m higher than here to the south,
comprising 50% Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault and Grenache. This is
typically “wilder” than ‘la Tourtine’, made up of 80% Mourvèdre and very
structured & concentrated. I was told a mystery cask chalked up ‘F51
CAB’ comes from 1 ha of “exceptional terroir” with over 80% Mourvèdre,
and did indeed provoke the ‘wow’ description again: lovely fruit, very
tight and very firm.
On to the
2001s: in terms of phenolic (tannin/colour) ripeness, it was one of the best of recent
vintages along with 1998. The ‘Cuvée Classique’ showed this nicely with
attractive balance of rich black fruits, power and structure. ‘La Migoua’
and ‘la Tourtine’ were excellent, the extra intensity of the latter
apparently
coming from 35+ year-old vines. Another mystery wine, ‘F40 CAB’, proved
to be very spicy and rich with serious bite and grip. “It’s a bit over
the top at 16.5°,” Daniel admitted.
I
also tasted four different 2000 reds, which scored from 89 to 94 in my
book and showed fine poise between ripe fruit, extraction, power and some
elegance too. “It’s very easy to make concentrated wines, but more
difficult to achieve balance.” Again the stars of the vintage were ‘la Mig’ and ‘la Tourt’, both showing real promise for the future. Finally
he dug out a bottle of their 1982, which was probably looking better
than some top Bordeaux and rewarded with 95+ points. It was getting
quite brown but displayed lovely complex dried raspberry and cassis
fruit, rustic and sweet; mature and soft but still had some freshness
and structure underneath that sweet liquorice fruit; completely
delicious with real elegance and length too. A suitably sublime moment
to end the day on.
****
Domaines Bunan
Tasted April 2003:
2001 Château la Rouvière
blanc de blancs (Clairette pointue -
yes,
that's the 'pointed' variety) - Floral and aromatic underlined by oily and
citrus notes too, quite full and long with crisp mineral edges on the
finish. 83-85
2002 Mas de Rouvière rosé (Grenache Cinsault
Mourvèdre) -
lightly pink, zingy youthful nose leads to lovely 'sweet' strawberry
fruit and attractive fresh acidity, shows a little concentration and
complexity too. 84-86
2002
Château la Rouvière rosé same leading with M - Similar colour to the Mas,
more closed and less obviously fruity on the nose; weighty and quite
structured showing good power yet elegant style. More serious, drink with
food definitely. 86-88
1999 Mas de Rouvière rouge (Mourvèdre
Syrah Cinsault)
- Quite deep colour, has rustic notes
on the nose wrapped in lovely ripe berry fruits and herbs too;
attractive coating on the palate of ripe smoky fruit and chunky yet
rounded tannins, structured and pretty concentrated set against
earthy/ripe background. 89+
2000 Château la Rouvière rouge (Mourvèdre
Syrah, 14.5% "very low yields") - Very ripe
dried black fruits, concentrated and powerhouse enveloped in grippy
tannins v sumptuous ripeness, leaving lovely layered mouthful; needs
time. 91+
****
Bandol Fête du Millésime 2003
My tasting notes from this lively event can be found either on the right
(under the relevant producer's paragraph dated accordingly) or
below, which offer a first
glimpse into wines from this year's sun-drenched vintage; plus a few, majestic
older ones as well. Held on the 7th December 2003 (this is a worthwhile
annual event by the way, usually over the first weekend in Dec.) all along the port in Bandol town, it
was a kind of more hedonistic version of 'en primeur' tastings with
the emphasis on a fun day out rather than serious trade affair.
The red wines had either just gone into barrel or were about to; the
overall vibe is that the vintage is looking very promising at this
stage for all three colours, even the whites (sometimes a bit
ordinary yet priced at a similar high level). By the way, the
following were voted 'Longues Gardes' 2003 (showing the best ageing
potential): Ch. Salettes, Dom. La Suffrene and Ch. de Pibarnon.
Unfortunately, I didn't taste the first two but go along with the
latter choice.
****
 Vendanges
du Rond-Point des Mourvèdres October 2004
"Bandol harvest finishes early"
This news story first appeared on
Decanter.com
on 14th October 2004 (in a shortened form).
"The costumed
tradition of ‘les Vendanges du Rond-Point des Mourvèdres’ – harvesting
225 Mourvèdre vines planted on the roundabout near motorway exit ‘La Cadière-Le Castellet’ north of the town of Bandol – took place on
Thursday 7th October in temperatures of over 25°C, despite threats of
rain issued by weather forecasters. The event usually symbolises the
vintage in full swing but this year marked the finishing touches, and
summed up the positive mood surrounding this year’s crop..."
The full story here.
The ceremonial picking and pressing of grapes were followed by a tasting
at the roadside - I've highlighted a dozen favourites below, a mix of
young and older Bandol reds
and rosés (actually, that's a slight fib: missing notes, especially the rosés will follow soon-ish...).
The 2003 rosés in particular, with their seductive weight and freshness,
went rather well with the mussels steamed in wine and herbs served up to
keep us going. And having tasted some 2004s (all colours) at various
stages of vinification, I can confirm that this could be a very good
vintage. Bandol reds might sometimes seem a bit pricey, but, in general,
they stack up well against comparable quality from Bordeaux, California
or Australia, often offering better value. However, charging the same
price for the white or rosé is a bit strong, even if some of them are
very good (originally written 26/4/04).
Either side of this event, I visited several estates for some
research I was doing on the
Mourvèdre variety: Pibarnon, Laidière, Terrebrune, Vivonne, Tour du
Bon, Bastide Blanche, Lafran-Veyrolles, Gros'Noré, Tempier, Ott and
Sainte Anne. So, you'll also find kilos more recommendations and reviews
opposite including a few excellent older vintages. And while you're at
it, click here for more wines
made from Mourvèdre, aka Monastrell and Mataro from Spain, Australia and
South Africa. Now, this really is getting a bit obsessive!
****
Other Bandol reds
& rosés
Tasted 7th October
2004 (missing
notes to follow):
Château Salettes
2000 - Displays a touch of developing dried fruits with rustic notes, quite
austere palate showing good grip and decent depth of fruit.
87+
Domaine Maubernard
1996 - Mature minty raisin and liquorice aromas, lovely rich black fruits within
a solid framework of dry rounded tannins and great length.
92
Domaine de la Suffrène
1998 - Rustic animal nose, oozes complex fruit on its lovely supple yet grippy
and structured palate, seductive smoky length. 93
Domaine du Gros’Noré 2000 - see opposite.
Château Sainte Anne
2003 rosé - see opposite.
Domaine Tempier 2002 - 84
Domaine de
L'Hermitage
2003 rosé - 80
Domaine de
la Bégude
2003 rosé - 85
Domaine des
Baguiers 2003 rosé
- 87
Château la Rouvière
2003
rosé
- 87
Tasted December 2003:
Domaine de Frégate
2001 - 84+
La Roque
(co-op winery)
2001 Grande Réserve - 84+
Domaine de
l'Olivette
2003
(cask
sample tasted December 2003) - note to follow.
89
2003 rosé -
note to follow
(tasted Dec 03 and
7/10/04 so average =)
87
2000
- interesting nose of rustic black olive and herbs, quite firm and extracted set
against nice maturing fruit on the finish (tasted
7/10/04). 89
Domaine Sorin
Both reds tasted
December 2003:
2003
(cask sample) - note to follow.
89
2000
-
note to follow.
89
Contact details and further info from
www.vinsdebandol.com
© All rights
Richard James
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Bandol
tasting notes & ratings
The wines below - mostly reds unless it says otherwise - were tasted between September and December 2004, except where stated
i.e. tasted in April 2003 or December 2003 on the
corresponding occasion (refer to text opposite).
Domaine de la Laidière
 1998 cuvée spéciale (98% Mourvèdre) – complex rustic development plus ripe black fruits and dried herbs,
lovely depth of fruit and style offering a coating of attractive tannins and
liquorice fruit; high yet balanced alcohol and good grip keeping this delicious
wine very much alive, still has power and elegance on the finish.
95-97
2001 (70% Mourvèdre) –
richer and smokier than the 2002, delicious ripe complex black cherry / olive
fruit, very good concentration yet it’s elegant too, dry but rounded tannins and
superb fine finish. 94
2002 (65% Mourvèdre) –
attractive youthful cherry fruit on the nose and onto the palate, spicy and
pure; juicy quite soft mouth-feel and just a touch of dry tannin show its
immediate drinkability, good wine for this lighter vintage.
87
2003 (cask sample tasted December 2003) - note to follow.
87
2003 rosé (60% Mourvèdre) – very zesty and
fragrant red fruit style building to a creamier palate, nice freshness and
length. 87
2003 blanc (Clairette and Ugni Blanc) –
perfumed and honeyed aromas, lightly oily texture lifted by floral honeysuckle
notes, fairly crisp finish with good length; unusual.
87
Château de Pibarnon
2001 (magnum with
lunch) – a little
closed to start, opens up to reveal hints of black cherry / berry and peppery
intensity; tight framework showing firmness yet finesse, a tad of chocolate oak,
liquorice and spice; the structured and elegant length points to a good future
ahead of it. 92-94
1998 – lovely developing
rustic nose with hints of green and black olives, also some perfumed floral
spice comes through; powerful weighty mouthful with firm grip countered by lots
of smoky fruit, textured coating and length. 95+
2000 – aromatic spicy
ripe nose, a hint of chocolate on the palate and subdued background fruit,
pretty powerful with firm bite of tannins; not expressing itself very well at
the moment. 89+?
2002 (90% Mourvèdre, 10
Grenache) – fairly forward, aromatic and farmy black olive nose; tighter in the
mouth, quite firm but certainly not aggressive showing a tad of sweet oak too,
nice fruit and length, pretty elegant v structured; beginning to drink now but
will go further. 88
1989
Vieux Marc de Bandol (100% Mourvèdre, evaporated to 45% alc. from 60+ not
diluted) – complex smell somewhere between Armagnac and Grappa, a touch of
sweetness from the oak (aged in new foudres), powerful but fruity and rustic
with spicy length. 89
2003 blanc (Clairette, Borboulenc, Roussanne,
Marsanne, Petit Manseng, Viognier) – aromatic and floral with oily notes that
continue onto the palate lending texture, quite fat and weighty (13.5%) yet
still has a touch of freshness; reminiscent of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape. (Also
tasted Dec 03 so average =)
85-87
2003
rosé – forward and fruity offering ‘sweet’
strawberry flavours, ripe oily texture and weight lengthened by its 13.5%, light
background acidity. (Also tasted Dec 03 so average =) 85-86
2003
rouge (cask sample
tasted December 2003)
- note to follow. 90+
Tasted September 2003:
1999 (magnum) - very
dense purple/black colour showing some tinges of brown, rich texture and tannic
structure but nicely layered with ripe black fruits and hints of oak/chocolate.
Drinking quite well now with food but really needs a few years more to mellow.
89-91
Tasted April 2003:
2001 from cask (Mourvèdre
Grenache) - Showing lovely fruit, super depth on the palate compounded
by firm grippy yet rounded tannins; will be very good. 90-92
2000 - Nice aromatic berry fruit tinged with a touch of earth and
wood spice notes; solid concentration and tight palate, firm yet supple; powerful and fiery at the
moment finishing a little out of balance, but will go some.
90
1997 - Turning sweet and
dried herby and a bit more rustic, with attractive black fruits v big tannins, powerhouse palate yet
concentrated and structured; rich mouthful. 92+
1995 - Lovely maturing
sweet liquorice nose, quite soft and silky underpinned by remaining touches of
firmness, very attractive now, perhaps lacks the structure to go much further.
89
1990 - Deliciously
complex developing nose offering rich aromas of dried fruits, earth, liquorice
and black cherries/berries; sumptuous palate with complex dried fruits, herbs
and rustic edges; very long and fine supported by low-key tannin still keeping
it alive. 94+
2001 rosé (Mourvèdre Cinsault) -
Quite weighty and full with
some summer fruits but losing its aromatics, more serious and lengthy on the
palate. Shone later at lunch with the sea bass! 84+
2002 rosé - Floral, very aromatic and lively, zippy fruit and acid underlined by
attractive fruit extract. 85+
2000 Les Restanques de Pibarnon, Vin de Pays du Mont Caume - Made from 3 year
old vines i.e. too young to qualify for AOC Bandol yet. Ripe and smoky, rustic and juicy fruit is rounded out further with
a bit of new oak spice. 84
Domaine Terrebrune
2002 (80% Mourvèdre) –
attractive pure smoky cherry fruit, showing shades of Sangiovese; a touch of
bite and structure set against ‘sweet’ fruit and elegant finish; another good
2002. 89
2001 (80% Mourvèdre) –
more closed on the nose than the 2002 with subtle black fruits and violets too;
tighter more concentrated palate, enticing intensity of fruit layered with quite
firm tannins at the moment, perhaps a touch bitter (although this sample was
very cold) yet still has that elegant length and style.
92
1999 Réserve (nearly 100%
Mourvèdre) – a bit broody and reduced on the nose, but has lots of ripe black
cherry fruit and liquorice in the mouth, very structured and powerful with nice
coating of grippy tannins and tight focused length. 94
1990 – maturing rustic
dried fruit and black olive, herbal intensity as well; plenty of delicious ripe
fruit and soft layered tannins, richness v bite, very long lively finish.
95-97
1987 – supple earthy
cherry fruit with a herbal medicine edge; turning quite animal and very ‘sweet’
with underlying tobacco notes, the alcohol carries a bit but this has lovely
mature fruit and elegant finish. 92-94
2003 (cask/vat sample) -
gorgeous black cherry kirsch aromas underpinned by liquorice, raisins and spice
notes; firm structure and bite yet has lovely elegant roundness and length,
intense finish. (Also tasted Dec 03 so average =) 90-95
2003 blanc (Clairette, UB, Bourboulenc, Rolle)
– perfumed honeysuckle nose, oily texture, quite weighty and full (13%) with
nice finish and mineral intensity; a food white. 88
2003 rosé – offers very fresh lively floral
raspberry fruit, zingy mineral intensity, stylish and subtle.
(Also tasted Dec 03 so average =) 88
1992 rosé – yes, that's correct, a 10+
year-old rosé! Mature nutty fruit, full and broad palate, surprisingly alive and
unusual, not particularly oxidised. 87+
Tasted December 2003:
2000 - plenty of spicy
ripe fruit, again finishes a little hot (a common feature of many 2000s).
86-88
1998 - Some
reductive/sulphide notes on the nose but also displays lots of liquorice fruit,
richly textured and structured with decent concentration and length.
87-89
La Bastide Blanche
2003s all cask samples:
2003 Château des
Baumelles (80-85% Mourvèdre rest Grenache) – quite rich and rustic with
blackberry/cherry, lovely fruit and concentration set against dry but soft
tannins, leaving an attractive coating of fruit v chocolate.
89
2003 La Bastide Blanche (80% Mourvèdre +
Grenache) - pure spicy black cherry and blueberry fruit, much firmer and more
structured than the Baumelles; quite powerful with good length and grip. (Also
tasted December 03 so average =)
89-91
2003 LBB Cuvée Fontanieu (100% Mourvèdre) - dense colour and rich smoky black fruit characters, the fruit
closes up a bit on a tight palate showing fine tannins and very long finish.
91-93
2003 Baumelles (100%
Mourvèdre) – fruitier cherry aromas, quite open yet complex with nice spicy
fruit, dry coating of tannins leaving a grippier finish.
88
2003 LBB (88% Mourvèdre,
12 Grenache) - rustic touches on the nose, nice fruit balancing very firm
tannins leading to powerful structured length. 91-93
2003 as above but aged in
new demi-muits (600 litre cask) – touches of vanilla and spice but there’s good
fruit underneath; different tannin texture, more rounded and chocolaty.
2003 as above but aged in barrique – more chocolate still with coconut notes, again different tannin
texture but less character, shorter and woodier finish.
2003 Baumelles (100%
Mourvèdre, demi-muits) – very firm and tight, hints of vanilla but also has good
fruit concentration.
2001 Baumelles (100%
Mourvèdre 14.5%) – a touch baked and overly meaty, concentrated and firm in the mouth,
finishes a bit oxidised and bitter. Could be a dud bottle.
77-80
2001 LBB Cuvée Estagnol
(100% Mourvèdre 14.5%) – quite broody and meaty on the nose with black cherry
and liquorice notes, very powerful and firm, big mouthful with thorough
concentration and depth. 91+
2001 LBB Cuvée Fontanieu
(100% Mourvèdre) – lovely black olive and ripe plum, very firm tannins set
against super rich fruit, powerful yet hides its 15.5% alcohol well; perhaps a
touch bitter and extracted on the finish but has great depth of fruit too, needs
5-10 years to express itself properly. 92+
2000 Fontanieu (13.5%) -
‘sweeter’ and more rustic / developed, very concentrated and firm but is finer
than their 2001, super finish and length. 93
2000 Estagnol (14%) -
complex and smoky, quite soft liquorice and dried fruits on the palate, dry yet
nicely textured tannins; more elegant and less beefy than the 2001 (the inverse
of many other 2000s). 94
1998 Longue Garde
‘non-filtré’ - Attractive ripe rustic notes, full tannins but it’s rounded and
relatively smooth-textured with nice depth and style; will keep for 10 years+.
93 (December 2003)
2003
rosé (from vat about to be bottled, special
blend not for French market 90% Mourvèdre) – oily red fruits, quite full and
rounded intensified by yeast-lees notes; structured over aromatic in style.
85+
2003 blanc (100% new Burgundy barrique) –
full golden colour, a bit too much of the toasty vanilla notes, richer rounder
style than usual. 80
2004 rosé Château des Baumelles
(their other property in Saint Cyr sur mer, 86% Cinsault 14 Grenache from vat) –
lively and estery, nice concentrated red fruits with crisp bite.
85
2004 rosé BB (vat 100% Cinsault) – very
fruity and lively on the nose, more mineral in the mouth yet has less firm
acidity, long finish; very different from the Baumelles.
87
Domaine de la Tour du
Bon
2002 – forward cherry
fruit, shows fair depth and grip yet drinking well now.
85+
2004s from vat (not finished fermenting with
residual sugar) – La Chance (mostly chalk): vivid blackberry fruit with
attractive smooth tannins. Tour du Bon (more clay) – nice aromatic fruit, much firmer
already.
2000 – much more
concentrated and firmer than the 2002, quite tight elegant and lengthy on the
finish; shows good balance of tannic grip and depth of fruit, 15% alc. gives it
serious
weight but it works here. (Also tasted Dec 03 so average =) 92
2001 – had been open too long
but still shows it underlying structure and class.
2001 St-Ferréol - Shows
lovely liquorice fruit, great depth, personality and length.
90-92 (December 2003)
2003
blanc (Clairette Ugni Blanc Vermentino) – quite
fat and nutty with rich oily texture, flavoursome start but turns flabby.
80
2002
blanc (Clairette Ugni Blanc Vermentino) –
tasted December 2003, note to follow.
85
2003 rosé (Cinsault Grenache Mourvèdre) –
zesty yet creamy too, weighty in the mouth, drinking well now.
85
Domaine de la Vivonne
2002 Côtes de Provence
Ancienne Propriété Lantéri (84% Mourvèdre, 14 Carignan, 2 Grenache) – lightly
rustic peppery aromas, a touch reduced but otherwise offers nice simple fruit
and easy drinking. 80
2002 Vivonne (100%
Mourvèdre) – aromatic black cherry fruit with peppery spice notes, has a bit of
structure and bite against easy fruit, quite open and elegant too.
85+
2001 Vivonne - powerful
blackberry nose, quite big and structured yet has attractive tannin texture,
tighter length and grip than the 2002, elegant finish despite the high alcohol
(15%). 90-92
2003 rosé (60% Grenache 40 Mourvèdre) –
delicious creamy strawberry edged with wilder fruit flavours, nice style and
weight; very fruity finish, drinking well now. 87
2003 rouge (cask sample tasted December 2003) - note to follow.
89
Domaine
Lafran-Veyrolles
2004 (from new 50 hl
foudre or tun, 100% Mourvèdre) – gorgeous black cherry & berry fruit with toasted
liquorice notes, lovely ripe fruit with nice rounded tannins providing
mouth-coating structure, good concentration with fine long finish.
90+
2004 Cuvée spéciale
(probably: if not will go into tradition blend, 'massale' selection vines 15 hl/ha
in barriques) – very dense purple/black colour, delicious ripe black fruits with
black cherry liquorice notes; very concentrated fruit supported by grippy
tannins, firmer yet richer than the tradition blend. 93+
2003 (virtually 100% Mourvèdre from 2 year old 65 hl foudre for about a year, will be bottled in 6
months or so) – displays some development with complex rustic ripe fruit on the
nose, solid grip backed up by good depth of fruit, firm yet quite fine with long
structured finish. (Also tasted in Dec 03 so average =) 90+
2002 tradition –
appealing forward black cherry fruit, a touch of spice and firmness in the mouth
with elegant length; attractive now. 85
2002 spéciale (c. 100%
Mourvèdre) – smokier and richer than the tradition showing greater depth of
fruit and firmer structure, needs a bit more time. 87+
2001 spéciale (c. 100%
Mourvèdre) – complex rich smoky black fruits tinged with a subtle touch of spicy
wood, lovely concentration v firm grip, closed long finish; structured bite v
ripeness and stylish coating of flavour, 15.5% gives it power yet it’s still
elegant. Needs 5+ years. 94
2000 spéciale (c. 100%
Mourvèdre) – more animal and developed than the 2001 showing delicious black
cherry fruit, very rich and concentrated with firm coating, power on the finish
yet still tight and elegant. Nicer now than the 2001 but will still develop.
95
1989 – attractive farmy
dried fruit and liquorice aromas, complex and minty too; quite soft and mature
with rustic fruit and oily texture, still structured and alive with long finish;
interesting older style. 92
2003
blanc – aromatic
honeysuckle and banana notes, a touch of yeast-lees complexity to the palate
with fairly crisp finish for a 2003. 85+
2004 (vat) – lively citrus aromas followed by elegant mineral zing in the mouth,
shows lovely fruit and fair acidity. 87
2004 rosé (vat 60% Mourvèdre) – quite fine and bright fruit character, crunchy
yet creamy red fruits finishing with crisp citrus edge.
87
2003 – rose petal aromas set against oily fruit, shows attractive texture, quite
weighty yet has elegant mineral length as well. (Also tasted Dec 03 so average
=) 87-89
 Domaine du Gros’Noré
(Mostly Mourvèdre + Cinsault, Grenache and Carignan)
2001 – enticing smoky
nose with just a hint of subdued oak, quite tight and firm set against rich
depth of fruit.
Goes
well with figatelli (Corsican pork/pork liver sausage).
92+
2000 – more rustic and
developed than the 2001, lovely smoky rich fruit, quite high alcohol yet shows
some elegance too, long and quite soft finish with fine tannins.
Tasting average (Dec 03 cask sample, Oct 04 and Nov 04)
90-92
2003 (cask) – lively
black berry and cherry fruit with a touch of vanilla wood, quite soft actually
with light dry tannins, not so concentrated but has good elegant length.
(Also tasted Dec 03 so average =) 89+
2004 (cask) – nice rich
colour, super depth of fruit balanced by ripe coating of tannins, good length
and bite; 16% alc. certainly adds weight, however, it’s integrated. Promising:
92-94
2004 (stainless vat
already blended) – lovely spice and perfume, chocolate and black cherry;
richness v elegance, bite and grip v finer finish. 93-95
2004 (diff vat) –
similar to above but has grippier tannins and very impressive depth.
2004 blanc (fibre glass vat) – floral mineral aniseed nose, nice crisp
structure and style. 85
2004 rosé (square concrete vats) – lovely aromatic nose offering lively
red fruits, zingy intense mouthful and good length. 2nd cuvée
– a bit leaner with crisper bite yet still has lovely fruit. Blend of –
nuttier aromas with zingy fruity palate, elegant length with good
concentration and extract. 89
Domaine Tempier
2004s from vat or cask:
2004 Grenache/Cinsault –
very ripe and liquoricey, lacks a bit of structure and depth.
04 Petit Moulin (chalkier
plot, “too many clones” and quite young vines) 90%+ Mourvèdre – nice ripe fruit,
lacks middle.
04 Vigneret (very poor
soils) – spicy blackberry fruit, rich fruit with good bite and structured
finish.
04 (mixed soils usually
used just for rosé, but “this year there was less stress on the vines so these
plots should make good reds too”) – quite chocolatey and spicy oak showing solid
fruit and tannins, lacks something though.
04 Cuvée spéciale (vines
outside the cellar) – fresher acidity, alcohol is well integrated, grippy but
not over-extracted.
04 Tourtine – the new
wood rather shows itself, but the palate is a rich black fruit cocktail;
spicy, firm and concentrated. Promising.
04 Cabassaou (old vines,
southwest facing: “excellent terroir, exposure.”) - shows real intensity of
flavour and concentration, 16% alc is surprisingly submerged under its superb
depth of dark fruits, tight fine tannins to finish.
04 La Migoua (50%
Mourvèdre) – very different to Cabassaou with fresher acidity, attractive depth
of fruit and grip; more subtle style.
2003s from cask:
03 Cuvée classique (75%
Mourvèdre + Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan) – shows some developing rustic fruit
on the nose, nicely bright and spicy on the palate, good concentration and
classic style. 87+
03 La Migoua (50%
Mourvèdre, 30 Cinsault, 17 Grenache, 3 Syrah) – quite oaky at the moment but
this should absorb into the wine, quite firm yet with fresher bite too and riper
fruit finish.
03 Tourtine (80%
Mourvèdre, 10 Grenache, 10 Cinsault) – enticing spicy black berry & cherry
fruit, the oak is better integrated than the Migoua at this stage, shows power v
finesse and tight firm long finish. 92+
03 Cabassaou (80%
Mourvèdre) – cardboardy, touch of unclean wood? Bit closed up but has good grip
v fruit.
2002 Cuvée classique (75%
Mourvèdre) – appealing forward maturing aromas enhanced by black cherry fruit,
shows reasonable depth and bite plus a touch of underlying oak and light grip.
Good for 2002, balanced and drinking now. 85-87
02 La Migoua (50%
Mourvèdre) – shows a touch more vanilla with higher acidity lending fresh bite
and making it feel firmer, a little hard at the moment but underneath there’s
enough sweet fruit.
02 Tourtine (84%
Mourvèdre) – a tad reduced but it works, leading to a quite rich palate showing
decent ripeness v grip and fair power on the length. 89
02 Cabassaou (picked a
week later) – quite a lot of oak flavours coming through, however this shows
much deeper structure and bite of tannins/acidity, tight long finish.
90
2003
rosé (50%+ Mourvèdre Gr Cin) – offers attractive creamy red fruits and reasonable weight
in the mouth, tempered by a touch of fresh acidity. 85+
Tasted April 2003:
2001 blanc (Cl UB Bourboulenc) - It's the Bourboulenc that makes the
difference...Round and oily, quite weighty yet juicy too, finishing with fair
length thanks in part to 13.8% alc. 84+
2002 rosé - Fresh and juicy turning a bit closed with tight structure and
length; definitely needs a few months to develop. serious rosé 85-87
2001 rosé - serious rosé 2.Richer and fruitier than the 2002 showing nice
roundness and weight, and concentrated too. 86+
2001 Tempier Cuvée Classique (in
barrel) - Rich and spicy, nice black fruits and cherries, good power and
structured finish. 89
2000 Cuvée Classique -
Also quite reduced but leads to a classy mouthful, 14.5% alc. isn’t really
obvious as it’s very structured and lined with very concentrated fruit, combined
with some fresher acidity; closed, elegant yet powerful finish too.
90
2000 La Migoua - A touch
spicier with richer black plum fruit, lovely palate suffused with ripe coating
tannins that add impression of sweetness, which is cut by 15% alc and fresher
acidity developing to elegant finish. 92-94
2001 La Migoua (in barrel) - Lively fruit coats the mouth with lots of
attractive ripe tannins to finish. 90-92
2001 La Tourtine (in
barrel) - Similar depth of fruit and tannins but more intense and structured.
91-92
2000 La Tourtine - Firmer
and tighter than the Migoua, pretty big and extracted but has massive liquorice
fruit depth with hints of menthol too. 92-94
1982 Domaine Tempier -
Getting quite brown but displays lovely complex dried raspberry and cassis
fruit, rustic and sweet; mature and soft but still has some freshness and
structure underneath the sweet liquorice fruit; completely delicious with real
elegance and length too. Some '82 Bordeaux wouldn't be in such good condition... 95+
Domaines Ott
- Château
Romassan
2004 (from cask 100% Mourvèdre) – perfumed tangy black cherry/olive fruit, shows good depth v a
lighter touch, subtle bite of tannins and acidity lending the framework to an
elegant heart.
2003 (from cask 100% Mourvèdre) – bright cherry fruit with peppery spice and rustic touches, higher
alcohol and bigger/clumsier than the 04, firm with warm finish.
2001 (60% Mourvèdre,
Grenache 15%, Cinsault 15%, Syrah 10%) – a bit oxidised from being open too
long, but this has quite tight and spicy black fruit, the tannins are a bit firm
like bitter coffee; perhaps needs a little longer in bottle to open up.
2000 Longue Garde (60%
Mourvèdre, Grenache 15%, Cinsault 15%, Syrah 10%) – Spicy liquorice and raisins
with complex maturing aromas, seduces with ‘sweet’ fruit and minty notes, ripe
liquorice finish bolstered by firm coating of tannins and good length; drinking
now but will develop further. 90+
2004
Marcel Ott rosé (50-50 Mourvèdre Cinsault from cask, approx 14%)
- Nice aromatic
elegant red fruits and citrus flavours, fresh acidity and bite set against fair
weight and good length. 87
04 rosé (from vat: 75% Mourvèdre) – zingy and intense, a tad reduced but offers good fruit v
bite.
04 rosé (from vat: 80% Mourvèdre) – floral citrus aromas, crunchy red fruit palate
displaying good depth and bite; long and elegant finish.
89+
04 rosé (from vat: 100% Mourvèdre) – weightier and creamier mouth-feel set against fresh
intensity, more structured framework. 89+
Château Sainte Anne
2001 (60% Mourvèdre, 20%
Grenache, 20% Cinsault) – very perfumed floral raspberry, black cherry and
blackcurrant with rustic edges, leathery notes on the palate yet shows very ripe
tannins backed up by smoky fruit, elegant concentration and length. Drinking now
but will last many years. 92+
2001 Cuvée Collection
(95-98% Mourvèdre) – delicious complex nose displaying ripe plum, raspberry and
cherry with mint and leather too; concentrated, ripe and rich, more animal than
the regular 2001 (these wines might have a bit of
brett but who cares) yet finer and rounder as well, has more substantial grip
softened by subtle length of liquorice flavour. 94
2000 Collection – less
advanced on the nose than the 2001 and spicier too, smoky rustic fruit to start
but it closes up showing firmer structure; the solid concentration and grippy
tannins do yield to ripe liquorice in the background, not very obvious on the
finish. Needs time. 92-94
1999 Collection –
Somewhat rustic, smoky nose but perfumed and complex with rich liquorice, damson
and black cherry fruit; lovely concentration in an elegant natural way, maturing
fruit and soft yet dry tannins linger very nicely. 90+
2000 tradition – offers
hints of leather, liquorice, black plums and spices; quite tight and grippy
mouth-feel yet is once again finely textured. (Also tasted December 03 so
average =) 90
2002 tradition – farmy
smoky dried fruits, complex interesting aromas with herbal minty notes too;
soft, rustic and mature yet still retains depth of liquorice and chocolate
fruit, very charming considering 02 was an average year.
87-89
2003
blanc (Clairette Ugni Blanc Viognier) – distinctive aromas of flowers and pears,
fresh minerality in the mouth broadened out by a touch of fatter fruit, quite
fine length despite low acidity. 85
2003 rosé (Grenache Cinsault Mourvèdre) – attractive creamy rasp/strawberry fruit
edged with earthy spicy notes, quite weighty with light grip yet freshness too.
87
1998 Cuvée Collection -
faulty bottle I hope: very volatile, acetic in the mouth. (Dec 2003)
More Ste-Anne wines here.
Château Pradeaux
Tasted December 2003:
1999 - Volatile but shows
mature ripe black fruits with raisin edges, soft and rustic against a bit of
remaining structure; acetic acid level is quite high. 82
2003 (cask sample) - very
fruity and spicy, leading to attractive sweetness then dry grip and solid
length.
90+
2002
rosé
- note to follow. 80
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