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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.5 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 53 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by dlduchon on 4/18/2024 & rated 90 points: I like rustic, old school Bandol, so I enjoyed this very much. Tasty and contemplative. (117 views) | | | Tasted by Neurowine1 on 2/7/2024: Final btl of this on a cold rainy night. It's alright. Still a bit disjointed. This one starts with a slug of cherry jam but then quickly comes a bitterness and rusticity, olives, prunes, and a then dollop of EtOH heat. A bit dried out. Should be drunk up. It is recognizable as a Bandol, although a far cry from Dm Tempier. (408 views) | | | Tasted by Neurowine1 on 10/17/2023: More like the JULY 21 bottle than the DEC 21 one. Very rustic, reminiscent of an old school Hemingway-style Cahors. Dark, bitter, sort of dirty. Works well on a cool evening. I can feel my chest hairs growing... (522 views) | | | Tasted by TheFoodieTraveler on 7/14/2022 & rated 91 points: Overly rustic a bit too secondary (732 views) | | | Tasted by wilypod on 5/1/2022 & rated 90 points: Not very refined but a balanced, delicious, and deep wine. Thyme, cardamom, dark cherry, and dark chocolate notes with leather in the mouth. The tannins are assertive but not rough. The acidity neither prominent nor deficient. Mourvedre tertiary character is evident. Could age longer with cool storage. (775 views) | | | Tasted by Neurowine1 on 12/8/2021: Drinking very beautifully at the moment. Classic cool dark mouvedre fruit, leather, and wild thyme. This is really lovely and has softened out. (974 views) | | | Tasted by Neurowine1 on 7/24/2021: Finally got to one of these after 7+ years in the box. Warm summer night sans food is probably not the best setting, as this deserves a cold evening with grilled meat or a hearty stew. Big, chewy, tannic, and rustic. Tannins drying and this tastes a tad astringent and stripped down. Probably on the decline, or at least not likely to improve. Still have a few more of these. (1068 views) | | | Tasted by Livonietisr on 12/28/2020 & rated 91 points: There is no sediment in the bootle. Deep purple color. Aromatic nose of black cherrie, plums, leather, spices. Wine is ripe, full bodied. Acidity is medium-. Tanins are present, but well integrated. Finish is medium. (1257 views) | | | Tasted by BBinSC on 12/5/2020 & rated 90 points: I enjoyed this bottle very much. I'm glad I cellared it for as long as I did. Even at 9 years, this wine had fairly intense tannins out of the bottle. It's rustic, chewy, full-bodied. It's a great bottle for a cold night with a beef stew. Very good. (871 views) | | | Tasted by FraserMacmillen on 7/25/2020 & rated 89 points: This wine split opinion, Deep dark red, leathery on the nose, v smooth but strong tannin as expected from Mouvedre.
For some the tannin is too overpowering
For others the mix of brambly fruit, spicy leather and tannin is v gd.
Rated 84 - 90! (937 views) | | | Tasted by Livonietisr on 5/12/2020 & rated 91 points: Dark color. Ripe fruits, leather. Full bodied, juicy acidity. Tanins become silky. Balanced. (982 views) | | | Tasted by jlhkiss on 2/18/2020 & rated 91 points: Accessible and now likely entering a peak window. Was open immediately after un-corking. Floral nose with deep blueberry, blackcurrant, garrague, and wild mushroom and herb on the palate and still tannic finish. This is rather linear but well-balanced and executed. Great QPR for heartier dishes like beef stew. Drink 2020-2024. Technical score: 90. Enjoyment score: 92. (1065 views) | | | Tasted by Livonietisr on 5/31/2019 & rated 88 points: Ruby red. Blackberry, black currant, oak. Muted palate with some bitternes in aftertaste. (1141 views) | | | Tasted by UrbanGrill on 5/29/2019 & rated 83 points: I don't enjoy this wine like I used to. It is too dominated by alcohol. I also suspect that it would have been better a few years ago, with more tannins and acidity to stand up to the 15%. (1092 views) | | | Tasted by Androurse on 6/25/2018 & rated 90 points: The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blueberry and black currant (cassis). It tastes like blueberry, blackberry, black currant (cassis) and oak. The body is medium/full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity. (1648 views) | | | Tasted by pernod on 3/2/2018 & rated 89 points: Ruby red, clear edge, long moderate drops. Blackberry, vanilla, oak, violet nose. Blackberry, sour cherry, vanilla,pleasant fruit. Nice, mellow tannins and fresh fruit. (1450 views) | | | Tasted by jlhkiss on 1/18/2018 & rated 89 points: Seemed shut down even after a few hours of air. Smooth and silky, but it ultimately delivers a mute palate with muddled notes of dark cherries, prunes, blackberries, and smoke. The finish is still thick. Drink 2019+. Technical score: 89. Enjoyment score: 88. (1290 views) | | | Tasted by Twopawsup on 5/7/2017 & rated 92 points: Evolving nicely with age. Aromas of black currant (cassis), prune and oak. It tastes like blackberry, plum and black pepper. The body is full. The wine has leathery texture. The wine finishes long. (1584 views) | | | Tasted by jlhkiss on 4/20/2017 & rated 91 points: Far more accessible than a few years ago. Bright cherries and dark fruit with streaks of soy sauce, garrigue, and savory herbs. Full-bodied but juicy and light on its feet. Fantastic QPR. Technical score: 91. Enjoyment score: 92. (1323 views) | | | Tasted by Twopawsup on 2/25/2017 & rated 90 points: The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. It smells like fig, mushroom, dust and oak. It tastes like black currant (cassis), black pepper, stoniness and toast. The body is full. The wine has leathery texture. The wine finishes long. (1154 views) | | | Tasted by lgeeker on 6/28/2016: Tuesday Night Double Blind Tasting, $40 and under (Bin 75): Big, deep, dark. It's got baby aspirin, so thought Grenache. Went 2010 CdP. (1885 views) | | | Tasted by Twopawsup on 4/15/2016 & rated 90 points: Agree with most of the comments here this wine is tight but should benefit from more aging. After 2.5 hours of decanting the bouquetkept evolving of cigar box and oak and dark berry. Blackberry and pepper hit the palate. Some fruit seems to want to evolve and may open up over time. Finish is mid-palate and chewy. Have three more bottles and looking forward to trying again in a year. (1592 views) | | | Tasted by marcbernstein on 11/15/2015 & rated 89 points: Very full body, rich with a peppery finish. Should be drank with dark meats and heavy meals. Decant for 1 hr. (1434 views) | | | Tasted by jlhkiss on 10/27/2015 & rated 90 points: Decanted 2.5 hours ahead of a savory beef stir fry. Far more accessible than last bottle a year ago with a compact, juicy core of blackberries, tobacco, mushrooms, and campfire. Palate is balancing out yet the finish is still tight. Linear wine but it's well made and makes a nice weeknight QPR. (1408 views) | | | Tasted by marcbernstein on 10/11/2015 & rated 87 points: Very deep and bold flavors
decant for 45-60 min
Not my favorite (1571 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| La Bastide Blanche Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
In the early '70s Michel and Louis Bronzo (the latter on the board of the INAO) acquired the property of the Bastide Blanche, with an eye to producing from appellation Bandol wines the equal of more famous appellations like Chateauneuf. Their painstaking efforts were rewarded in 1993 when vintage conditions created the benchmark year to put Bandol in general and Bastide-Blanche, in particular, on the map of top producers in France. They have various cuvees, depending on the vintage, but always about 75% Mourvedre as a minimum, up to 100% Mourvedre for the Cuvee Fontanieu from a parcel of that name near the Mediterranean. Also, common each year to their success are their very low yields, never more than 34 or 35 hl/ha, and simply impeccable cellar conditions and attention. This shows in the pure, well-delineated fruit, that has become a hallmark of Bastide-Blanche. They also make a delightful Rose, from predominantly Mourvedre, with Grenache and Cinsault.La Bastide Blanche BandolTypically, "72% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, 6% Cinsualt, 1% Syrah, & 1% Carignan from ≈30 yr old vines grown in clay-limestone soil with cailloux." [Info from U.S. Importer's pg]
Producer WebsiteMourvèdre 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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