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2011 Gros Nore Bandol RougeBlend from France

$36.97

List Price: $48.00

You're saving $11.03!

WINERY: "Alain Pascal could be a character pulled right out of a Marcel Pagnol novel - a kind of Provencal Hercules. Like his father, Honore, for whom the domaine is named, Al...

  • 94 Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  • 90 Wine Enthusiast
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About

Ratings:

94

"Both of the reds are brilliant and most likely the wines of the vintage, the 2011 Bandol comes from 30-year-old vines and is a blend of 80% Mourvedre, 15% Grenache and 5% Cinsault. Aged 18 months in foudre, it’s a dense, concentrated 2011 that offers notions of black cherry, blackberry, earth and ground herbs on the nose. This flows to a full-bodied, gorgeously put together palate that has considerable structure, superb purity of fruit and a knockout finish. Give it another 2-3 years in the cellar and enjoy it over the following 15 years or more."

"Created in 1997 (they had previously sold their grapes to other domaines) and covering roughly 16 hectares in the appellation of Bandol, Domaine du Gros Nore is run by brothers Alain and Guy Pascal. I was blown away by the quality here and their wines were easily some of the top releases I was able to taste for this report." (02/14)

90 Wine Enthusiast

"This wine has intense acidity and a profoundly mineral character. Rich black-fruit flavors and firm tannins give it a sense of potential for the future. Drink from 2016. -R.V." (03/14)

Product Description:

WINERY:
"Alain Pascal could be a character pulled right out of a Marcel Pagnol novel - a kind of Provencal Hercules. Like his father, Honore, for whom the domaine is named, Alain is a strong, husky man with hands the size of bear claws. That he is a former boxer and an avid hunter should be no surprise, yet his physique matches both his spirit and his wine - this gentle giant and his cuvées are all heart. Of the many stories recorded in Kermit's Inspiring Thirst, those of Alain are among the most entertaining. For years he sold his prized fruit from Bandol to Domaine Ott and Chateau de Pibarnon. Though he and his father would bottle their own wine for family consumption, they never labeled it under their own domaine name. Kermit has called those early family wines, 'Magnificent Bandols made in the simplest manner, tres franc de gout, with a whole lotta soul.' In 1997 after his father's death, Alain officially started Domaine du Gros 'Nore, a real shift that has brought him more than just casual notice. Alain is already a leading contender in Bandol, the appellation regarded as the grand cru of Provence."

"He farms sixteen hectares of vineyards with the help of his brother, Guy, on the rolling hillsides around La Cadiere d'Azur. The vineyards are composed of both clay and limestone, imparting a pronounced structure of earthy, splintered rock. This microclimate near the Mediterranean brings warm weather and full sun, tempered by the persistent Mistral. Alain leaves his grapes to mature fully on the vine, lending great intensity to the fruit. Where appellation law demands that each blend includes at least 50 percent Mourvedre, Alain uses 80 percent - a choice that gives more power and concentration to the final assemblage. Do not be fooled by the strength and boldness of the Gros 'Nore Bandol, though; underneath a big exterior is a wine of character, depth, complexity, soul, and finesse." -Importer

Product Detail

Item # 80264
Country France
Region Provence
Sub-Region Bandol
Ratings

94 - Jeb Dunnuck - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

90 - Wine Enthusiast

Vintage 2011
Color Red
ABV 15.0%
Varietal(s) Mourvedre / Mataro / Monastrell / Garrut, Grenache / Garnacha, Cinsault
Size 750mL
Closure Cork
Features
Taste blackberry, violet, oak, smoke, toast, vanilla, black currant, dust, leather, strawberry and musk
Nose thyme, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, mint, vanilla, toast, smoke, tobacco, dark fruit, red fruit, game, tar and dust