Provence

• Bandol

Another new winery for me (which is always fun).  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose has black cherries, a charred earthiness and black olives.  On the palate this has light tannins, black cherry fruit with a nice back bone of acidity.  This is young but drinks well on its own.  It should gain some complexity.  Hold for a three years and drink over the next five to seven.  It will go well with stews and fowl.  

This is 75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, and 2% Carignan.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is tight.  Dusty with black cherries.  On the palate, this has a wonderful glycerin texture but is tight as a drum.  Not much fruit today.  Some slightly bitter notes.  With air some black cherries come out.  Shorter finish.  This keeps getting better with air so if drinking soon, give it a few hours in a decanter.  Better to wait five to ten more years on it.  All that said, it's perhaps harsh as the overall experience is still very pleasing.  It will need big food today to pair

This is young but what a beautiful Bandol.  Inky purple in color.  A lovely nose with black cherries, black olives and just a hint of funk.  On the palate, this is very lively.  Light tannins.  Medium bodied.  Great acidity.  Lots of black cherry fruit.  Depth but tight.  Long finish.  This is delicious now, but could easily show a point or two of improvement in three to five years as it develops.  Great on its own, it needs bigger foods to pair with now but that should broaden with age.  Easily has another decade of life.  

This is a big wine that is still not giving up much.  The question at age 12 is when, if ever, it will reach that optimum peak.  Purple in color.  The nose is very tight.  With air some black raspberries and black olives come out.  On the palate, this is very tannic.  Some black raspberry fruit with a bit of black licorice.  When the tannins finally integrate will there be any fruit left?  That is the key question.  It is a very good wine today, but is this as good as it gets?  Given the reputation of the winery, one hope for more.  Let's this sit for a while and check back in three to five

This was a new house for me.  In a blind tasting, it was the groups #2 wine.  While it did not rank quite that high for me, it is an outstanding wine to be sure.  A blend of 70% Mourvèdre, 15% Cinsault, and 15% Grenache.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  Bright.  The nose has a cherry sweet tart quality.  Also fresh cherries and sour cherries.  Slight earthiness with a touch of volatile acidity.  On the palate, this has a slick texture.  Slight tannins.  Black cherry fruit.  Medium finish.  This may still improve a bit as it is still young.  It should easily have five to seven more y

This was tasted blind with a monthly tasting group.  It came in first place.  When we did a similar tasting a few years back, it also came in first place.  While, I did not have it in first place, it is an excellent wine and a great value.  A Kermit Lynch import.  Purple in color, slightly flat.  The nose is very fresh.  Cherries, slight root beer and the slightest bit of volatile acidity.  It has a wonderful texture on the palate.  Black raspberry fruit.  Firm tannins.  Nice depth although tight.  A long finish.  This drinks great on its own and will work with heavier meats or fowl.  This

This is showing some age but for those who like older wines, this is quite good.  It also has a nice rustic quality which seems to be standard for this producer.  Purple in color, flat but no real browning.  The nose has some volatile acidity along with plums, dust and slight black olives.  On the palate, this still has medium tannins.  Black cherry fruit.  There is some complexity and depth though not a ton.  Good finish.  This probably doesn't get better from here though it seems likely to stay at this level for a few more years at least.  It will work better at the table than on its own.

Purple in color with ruby swirls.  Slight volatile acidity on the nose.  Plums, sour cherries, and slight black licorice.  On the palate, this has a great texture.  Medium tannins.  This is still young but is delicious.  Plums and black cherries.  Long finish.  This will go well with stews or roasts or even Indian foods.  It is drinking well now but should easily have a decade left.  

This is 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, and 20% Cinsault.  Arguably the best Rose made today.  Certainly, it is right up there with a rich track record.  This vintage is another winner.  A salmon pink and copper color.  The nose is very pretty with watermelon along with a slight strawberry and a steely quality.  On the palate, this is light and crisp.  Slight tannins.  Slightly oily texture.  Strawberries and slight watermelon notes.  Supple.  This seems more rounded that some vintages.  Good finish.  This is very food friendly and will go with almost any food or on its own.  These are suppose

This is a great value Rosé from Provence.  It comes in a "flute a corset Provençal" shaped bottle.  This wine is pink/orange in color.  It has a lovely nose of strawberries with some apricots and slight citrus.  On the palate, the strawberries come thru along with a bit of cherries.  This is clean and easy to drink.  very tasty.  It has a nice energy which will fade quickly.  Though this wine may last for a few years, it should be drunk now to best enjoy it.  It will drink well on its own or with lighter fare but will also work with ribs or other grilled foods in a refreshing way.