Rating:
93
Wine Enthusiast
Cellar Selection
"Full bodied and rich, this is already showing its style and concentration. It is big and powerful with dark black fruits that show through strongly. The acidity and the dense structure promise good aging. Drink from 2016. -RV" (03/14)
Product Description:
Wine:
"This organically-grown wine is a powerhouse of dark berry fruit flavors with a lingering, complex finish. Produced from 95% Mourvedre and 5% old-vines Grenache, the wine is aged for 22 months in oak cuves before release, which makes this tasty giant more approachable in its youth. Celine is employing 20% whole cluster fermentation and pressing after 20 days. A great pairing with red meat and grilled dishes, and ideal with game.
2011 vintage notes: 2011 saw regular rain, with a warm and sunny spring that induced early budding and beautiful flowering. A slight fall in temperature around July 14th followed by constant seasonal temperatures in August produced perfect maturing conditions. Harvest started on September 13th. 2011 was a great vintage for Bandol red. This wine will age beautifully but is also very drinkable now." - Importer
Bandol:
"The tiny appellation of Bandol is located directly on the Mediterranean coast, just east of Marseilles, where the finest red wines of the French Riviera are produced. Only 4,000 cases of red Bandol is produced annually from their organically tended, terraced vineyards. Celine Pascale has taken a few years ago the winemaking reins from her father Achille, who started the winery. This development has brought about significant changes in the physical plant and the winemaking practices, bringing greater focus and clarity to the wines. Today, Domaine le Galantin cultivates 35 hectares in the Plan du Castellet."
"The ancient steep vineyards of Bandol - first planted by Phocaean Greeks c.600BC - are the perfect home of Mourvedre, and here the grape produces wines which can age at least three decades. As at le Galantin, the best vineyards are planted on poor clay and sandy soil on old terraces, known locally as restanques. The appellations's 1400 hectares of largely south facing vineyards get an extraordinary 3,000 hours of sun a year, but the heat is tempered by constant wind and also humidity from the sea." - Importer
This wine was also rated 89 Points by the Wine Advocate.