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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.4 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 47 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by pbaek on 4/18/2024: Earthy, funky bouquet. Animal notes, fur, band aid, iodine. Ripe, bordering on roasted fruit, dusty, dark plums. Complex, interesting, and certainly a wine that requires food and thought. (81 views) | | | Tasted by Wicker Parker on 12/23/2023: Aromatically this is still a young wine. Lavender is a particularly prominent aromatic, but dried cherries are right up there, along with hints of tilled earth, olives, leather, thyme, and cinnamon. It's a bit chunky / blocky on the palate and is a bit short. I really like this wine but so far as I can tell, I opened this 22 year old wine too young. The longer this wine is open (and I decanted 2 hrs before serving), the more the tannins clamp down on the palate. Maybe wait 5 years? 10 years? more? (247 views) | | | Tasted by french16 on 1/22/2022: Pretty consistent with the previous bottle although this one was more balanced and showing less roasted fruits. It is for sure ripe and full but is somehow very easy to drink. Herbs, earthy, dark fruits, iron. Very complex and benefitting of decanting. Tannins are still very present and this will age effortless for another 10 years. (1099 views) | | | Tasted by french16 on 5/15/2021: Flirt on being overripe with roasted fruits but somehow never cross that very thin line. Earthy, gamy, dark fruits but with a sappiness that keeps everything together.
A big boy for sure - 15% ! (1164 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 4/8/2021 & rated 87 points: It’s weird - I’m not enjoying this nearly as much as I typically do. This bottle is rustic to the extreme. Yet not on the nose which is 95+ material. Wild, sun kissed and full of juicy dark berry fruit. Earthy and anise. Sounds like a winner, right? The palate is almost dirty earth. Some fruit on the attack but the finish is dirt and a bit bitter. Hard to swallow. Could smell this wine all night but just can’t score it well. (87) (1302 views) | | | Tasted by Roundedge on 8/18/2020 & rated 92 points: Decanted for 2 hours, very lovely, big and bold, lots of dark berry on the palate. Still has a few years of life. (1455 views) | | | Tasted by Mario17 on 1/10/2020: Bu à l'aveugle lors d'un diner entre amis, notes sommaires. Nez magnifique qui nous laisse chercher un bout avant d'en venir au Mourvèdre. Un peu de fruits noirs, d'épices et une touche de cuir qui révèle l'âge un peu. Une bouche puissante mais avec des tannins fondus et agréables, de la matière et de l'équilibre. Très bonne longueur aussi. Délicieux. J'ai adoré et un vin qui peut se garder encore un bon bout de temps et un vin au prix abordable et pour ceux qui ont beaucoup de patience. (1757 views) | | | Tasted by sung251 on 9/27/2019 & rated 91 points: I do not know why the current drink date is set at 2019 but this wine is still a brute monster. With one sip i get wave after wave of dark chocolate covered black fruits followed by a huge wave of fine grained tannins at the back end. The wine is very primary with very little tertiary elements. If you are a big bold napa drinker it is time to drink now. However if you are looking for development it is not there yet. The wine was good and would've been better with some heavy food but it came off as too much for me. A promising wine and strongly recommend trying this at least 5 years later but may need 10 years to get more interesting tertiary peak rather than this monolithic primary fruit monster that it is today. (1190 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 8/4/2019 & rated 94 points: One of the best bottles of Bandol I have ever had. This wine is singing. Heathy garnet red color is followed by a captivating nose of burnt earth, southern herbs and dark red fruit. The palate is rich and robust but has a lovely sweet, mature edge that balances things out beautifully. Never heavy but certainly hearty, this wine should please for years. Bravo. (94) (1082 views) | | | Tasted by Raage on 7/4/2019 & rated 92 points: CDV
Très joli, rond, ample, doté d'une matière fine et soyeuse apportée par un boisé aujourd'hui discret, qui apporte des notes d'épices (cannelle). Le cuir est léger, assez subtil, le fruité (mure-myrtille) assez frais. Certes par rapport à Tempier, il manque de caractère et pârait plius "lisse", mais le registre reste assez élégant pour un vin si âgé. (1097 views) | | | Tasted by Weinberg Falls on 4/19/2019 & rated 88 points: Deep clear claret, bricking at the edges. Needs a fair decant to get it to open up and allow the funk to blow off the nose. Even so, there were still elements of farmyard to go with the dark fruits and madeira notes. This is fully mature, and the fruit is hesitating. Austere prunes and stewed plums on the palette, but lacking in any real complexity. The best is saved for last with the still-feisty alcohol drawing out the lingering finish. Interesting, but if I am honest I was hoping for a little more fun. (852 views) | | | Tasted by Stefanos T. on 12/12/2017 & rated 93 points: Color has started bricking and the wine is surely developed but in no way past maturity. Nose is clean with jammy fruit, spices and hints of chocolate. It is a big wine but not massive. I could feel the alcohol a bit. Acidity is medium at most making it a little flabby. Otherwise it is a really good wine. Quite a few similarities with its southern Rhone cousins. (1449 views) | | | Tasted by Motz on 1/25/2017 & rated 96 points: Tasted this a few days ago and still trying to wrap my mind around it. The bouquet features charred peat bog, creosote, smoke, and industrial rubber, all of which reminded me of a wine I had previously tasted but could not place at that moment. The wine tastes like it smells, offering earth, umami, and sanguine essences in layers. It also wears its alcohol well. About 15 minutes afterwards, while pondering this wine's pleasures, the comparable wine came to mind, the 1997 Guigal La Landonne! This Bandol over achieves and over delivers. In a solid drinking window, but there is no hurry. (2880 views) | | | Tasted by Innertällmo Bryggeri on 7/2/2016 & rated 91 points: Dark fruit with prunes, roses and dates, concentrated, thyme, rosemary and lavender, nice acidity and soft tannins. (2647 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 7/9/2015 & rated 91 points: (at Almanac – NYC) Wonderful wine. Beautiful, deep color. Fruit and earth on the nose. A bit rugged but maturing nicely. Finished a bit short but a lovely mouthful of wine. Drinking well now but will last a good while. (91) (3480 views) | | | Tasted by Rob-Rah on 6/3/2015 & rated 90 points: Colour no longer youthful. But the wine is still taught, young and not quite ready. Amazing vigour. Better after a long decant. Lovely fruit and character. Really good... now it just needs some real secondary notes. 90 on this occasion as it is a bit caught between two phases, but a few more points if it continues to age well and doesn't lose its fruit (no sign of that yet).
[Half bottle left with the cork in for 24 hours. Still good the next day, softened slightly. No real loss of fruit. This really can take more age in the cellar.] (3224 views) | | | Tasted by K-Web24 on 4/10/2015 & rated 92 points: My first impression was very surprising as I was expecting more earthy and barnyard characteristics. This wine was much more on the fruity side with a big nose of black fruits with a slight touch of cinnamon. The mouth feel was very balanced between the alcohol and tannins. The palate contained dark plum, black cherries, and a hint of grilled steak. Overall, a very enjoyable bottle of wine that is now in its sweet spot for drinking. (2734 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 2/3/2015 & rated 88 points: Beaucoup d'attente encore ici mais déçu encore une fois,
Nez sur les fruit rouge et les épices.
En bouche, léger avec un fruit acidulé mais manque de chair et de complexité. (2220 views) | | | Tasted by d'Artagnan on 4/11/2014 & rated 89 points: Une bouche sur le kirsch, fruit à noyaux, c'est droit et tannique il a de l'âge mais de la vigueur. Austère et encore bien jeune. 89-90 pts (2041 views) | | | Tasted by Kriz on 3/7/2014 & rated 78 points: Coffee, wet leaves and cacao. With air it collapsed. Still tannic but old and tired. (2035 views) | | | Tasted by fournet on 5/14/2013 & rated 90 points: Nice, mature nose. Tannic. Fruit is in a good spot. In a good spot, but this has years to go. (2291 views) | | | Tasted by bacchusnyon on 1/12/2013 & rated 90 points: confirming my initial note - another try after a couple of years, and a decant plus rest - perhaps an hour. Drank slowly over course of meal, and the initial jamminess blew off, with some animal/mushroom, dark underbrush berry notes - very nice - next time I will decant 3 hours and see. Probably still life in it. (2522 views) | | | Tasted by maxima on 7/11/2012 & rated 87 points: Rapide passage en carafe pour remettre en bouteille dans la cave sans liège pour la journée...rebouchée pour le transport et réouverture au resto (Luna de Sherbrooke) une heure avant le repas (Ris de veau sauce Champignons et filet mignons).
Un nez assez bizzare, des odeurs de réduction...surtout des prunes confites, de la fumée et un peu de terre!
En bouche, c'est un peu râpeux, les tannins sont très présents. La finale est longue et vaporeuse.
Ce vin a plus ou moins plu, il a souffert de la comparaison avec le Bourgogne et le Brunello, de par leur finesse et leur équilibre.
DÉCEPTION! (2954 views) | | | Tasted by steffenpelz on 4/6/2012: Profound wine. Wonderfully dark cherry, earth, black truffle, and grilled herbs. Ultra-complex and tannic yet fresh and balanced. This is a 20-30 year wine if you can wait that long. And judging by the truffle and earth flavors that are already very much present, it will gain even more complexity and truffle character in the next decade of its life. I bought this bottle at Chateau Pradeaux itself and if you have ever been to the property, you will know it's a fun one to taste. We tasted the wines with the owner's daughter and (who was a teenager then) and I'll never forget the drive up the narrowest of passageways lined with with roses on both sides scratching the car's sides. I am crestfallen that I only have one bottle of this left. This is one of the rare wines that I wish I had a case of or more. (2640 views) | | | Tasted by godx on 11/10/2011 & rated 89 points: Bill's Monthly Lunch - November 2011 (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind – beautifully mature with notes of iron, pepper, funk and red fruits. In the mouth this is delicate and fairly resolved but with good acidity. Jenise, who brought this bottle, said this was surprisingly more advanced than the last time she had it. In any event this bottle was enjoyable and mature. Very good. (3389 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Pradeaux Producer website, in French and English.
Exerpt from a write up at the Mad Rose Group, which represents the US importer, Rosenthal Wine Group:
: "There is the appellation of Bandol with its plethora of producers, some good, some mediocre; and then there is Chateau Pradeaux, the unique, inimitable, standard bearer for this ancient wine-growing district. The Chateau Pradeaux is situated on the outskirts of the town of St. Cyr Sur Mer which lies directly on the Mediterranean Ocean between Toulon and Marseilles. The estate is owned by the Portalis family which has owned this property since before the French Revolution. The domaine is currently under the direction of Cyrille Portalis, who continues to maintain the great traditions of this estate.
: The vineyards are cultivated in as natural a manner as possible with reliance on organic methods. In fact, during the spring months sheep are permitted to graze in the vineyards thereby eliminating any need to use herbicides and at the same time providing a natural compost.
: The wines of Pradeaux are brooding and difficult. Produced on the back of the noble Mourvedre, Pradeaux in its youthful stages is tannic, backward, and sometimes ornery. The wines are not destemmed; "elevage" in large oak foudres can last as long as four years; the essential blend is at least 95% Mourvedre; vines of less than 25 years of age are not used for the reds.
: Chateau Pradeaux "Cuvee La Rose Folle", is the standard Pradeaux. It is composed of 100% Mourvedre (old vines). The nose is a mix of honey and white flowers with a hint of animal fur; the color is ruby red; the fruit stains the palate and is lengthened by a near-perfect sense of roundness; the final attack is of ripe tannins that are dusty and sweet.
: Chateau Pradeaux "Cuvee Longue Garde", is born exclusively of the oldest Mourvedre vines on the estate (average age 45 years). Extraordinarily dense, with black notes to the color, the "Longue Garde" is marked by a strong scent of Provencal herbs combined with smoked red meat. This is a complete wine with incredible length; the flavors remind one of macerated plums and black currants. The super-ripe tannins are powerful and in perfect balance with the high fruit extract. This is the wine for the ages.
: Although the major part of the vineyards are planted to Mourvedre, the Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose is composed of Cinsault and Grenache as well as Mourvedre. After a short maceration on the skins, in order to extract a light color, the juice is fermented at low temperatures to retain freshness, fruit and bouquet. After being aged in stainless steel cuves, the wine is normally bottled in May or June of the year following the harvest. It is one of the richest of the Roses of France; dry but full-bodied with a floral bouquet. It is a very limited production wine as most of the production at Chateau Pradeaux is used to make the formidable Bandol Rouge."
Mourvèdre Blend - Read about MourvedreFrance Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comProvence Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de ProvenceBandol Bandol (Wikipedia) | Bandol (French language touristry site) |
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