 DOMAINE SORIN |
| Estate situated near the town of St.Cyr-sur-Mer. Comprises 12 Hectares of vines, with 2 Hectares classified for Bandol, and the remainder for Cotes de Provence or Vin de Pays Var wines. Met with the owner/operator, Luc Sorin, who emigrated from Burgundy and acquired this property in 1994.
Vineyards are planted and maintained organically, which approach carries on through the winemaking process. Following a rigid selection in the vineyards, the grapes go through cold maceration to bring forth more pronounced aromas. Fermentation takes place in four 7600 litre rotating casks. These unusual casks aid the extraction, together with the impact of the lees to produce even tannins.. Following the full winemaking process the wine is then stored in oak barrels.
Domaine Sorin produces 7 different wines - one white, two roses and four reds.
Annual production runs between 8,000 and 9,000 cases.
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| 2001 Terra Amata Cotes de Provence Rose |
| a Cotes de Provence Rose from 40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre. Vinified and aged in vat.
Light, soft pink in color, with hints of orange. enetrating floral and sweet tree fruits aromas - pear, with some light strawberry overtones. Very attractive on the nose. Fine acidity, fresh and flavorful - strawberry, orange peel. Excellent intensity and a fine lingering finish.
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| 2000 Les Terres Rouges Vin de Pays VAR |
| a Vin de Pay Var red made from 40% Cinsault,30% Grenache and 30% Carignan. 4 months aging in oak casks.
Medium ruby color - clean looking - some purple tones. Raspberry aromas - quite pronounced - a pleasing blend of fruit and spice. Good acidity - vibrant - with clean cherry flavors. Extends out to a satisfying finish. Acidity carries on with the fruit in the finish. Really well balanced. An attractive and easy drinking wine.
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| 1999 Cuvee Tradition Rouge Cotes de Provence |
| Cotes de Provence from 45% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 15% Carignan and 5% Mourvedre. Vinified in rotating cask - aged 9 months in casks.
Excellent depth of color - ruby/purple edged - clean and bright. Fine aromas of black currant and red currants - good depth. Black cherry and blackberry flavors - full and
ripe. Long, satisfying finish.( This was a second bottle - the first had a slightly earthy character in the aromas and
carried on a bit into the flavors. Luc felt we may have experienced a bottle which had some slight cork problems. )
Also tasted the 1998 Cuvee Tradition Rouge ( a different blend of 40% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 10% Mourvedre and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon ). This was a more typically styled Cotes de Provence red - fine quality, but wasn't as immediately attractive as the 1999. Would need a bit of time to develop.
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| 2000 Cuvee Privee Rouge Cotes de Provence |
| Cotes de Provence from 50% Syrah, 35% Mourvedre and 15% Carignan. Vinified in rotating casks - aged 10 months in
small barrels.
Deep and dark - purple red in color. Toasty oak - a bit smoky - deep aromas of cherry and blackberry with slight floral overtones. A really complex flow of aromas. Rich and full bodied on the palate - deep volume of berry fruit - dense, with mouth coating tannins. Powerful - big structure - finishes with sweet edged fruit. Excellent length. This is a powerhouse wine - will need some time, but there is definitely some early appeal, too.
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| 1999 Bandol Rouge Bandol |
| Bandol red from 80% Mourvedre, 15% Grenache and 5% Syrah.
Vinified in rotating casks - aged 16 months in small barrels.
Extremely dark - purple ruby - very deep and full. Fragrant - deep, penetrating sweet cassis and red currant aromas, with touches of spicey oak, and those fragrant floral nuances. Chewy, with soft tannins over sweet fruit. Huge blackberry flavors, and an incredibly long finish. Wonderfully rich and textured, and the finish seems to last such a long time. Maturity unlikely before 2008-2010. An outstanding wine.
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| CHATEAU VANNIERES |
| Visited Chateau Vannieres on May 21, 2002 - met with Eric Boisseaux, who is the Managing Director/Owner of the estate.
The name 'vannieres' dates from the 16th Century straw weavers, who were known as vannieres.
Estate is situated between La Cadiere d'Azur and St.Cyr-sur-Mer. Of the 47 Hectares of property, 35Hectares are under vine, including 2 Hectares of recent plantings. Soil is limestone and marl. Vineyards are planted to Mourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bourbolenc, Ugni Blanc and Clairette. Vines average 40 years of age. Everything in the vineyards is organic.
Harvest is hand picked - only mature grapes are selected. Picking is based on color and tannins, in addition to the normal PH and Sugar levels. Each varietal is fermented separately.
Rose and White wines are fermented in steel tanks - bottled usually 6 or 7 months following harvest. The red wines spend 18 to 24 months in oak casks. There are several rackings but no filtering.
Chateau holds small quantities of older vintages - as far back as 1979. Reds from Bandol and Cotes de Provence age extremely well. Cepage is 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache for the Bandol Rouge, and a blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon for the Cotes de Provence Rouge. Rose is 50/50 Grenache and Cinsault, and the white is about 50/50 Clairette and Boubolenc, with small portion of Ugni Blanc.
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| 2000 Chateau Vannieres Bandol Rose |
| Light salmon in color. Attractive spicey fruit aromas - some floral. Good acidity - balanced - some peach fruit. Finishes light, but a lasting finish. |
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| 2001 Chateau Vannieres Bandol Blanc |
| In bottle just last week. Clean straw color. Pleasing attractive nose, with tree fruits - sweet apple and pear. Very distinctive. Clean on the palate, with persistent spicey fruit flavors. Lasting finish. Really attractive.
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| 2000 Chateau Vannieres Bandol Rouge |
| 95% Mourvedre. Extremely dark - black purple color. Deep, penetrating aromas - aromatic - red currants and black raspberry - intoxicating. Deep, long on the palate
with sweet berry fruit - blackberry. Very lasting finish. Should be a long keeper.
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| 1999 Chateau Vannieres Cotes de Provence Rouge |
| Another very dark - purple ruby color. Nose is less pronounced than the Bandol,but aromas consist of spicey dark berry fruit. Softer on the palate than the Bandol.
Very well balanced - a full mouthful of wine, with an attractive finish. This would appeal much earlier than the Bandol - lots of fruit and structure - suggests it could age well also.
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| Domaine La Suffrane |
| Visited Domaine La Suffrane on May 31, 2002.
This producer of Bandol wines has 42 Hectares under vine between La Cadiere d'Azur and Le Castellet. Soils here are sand/silt, chalk and clay.
Winery is equipped with modern equipment - gravity driven collection of grapes to a sorting table. Fermentation takes place in epoxy lined concrete vats, together with temperature controlled stainless stell tanks.
In the vineyards the oldest vines are given goblet form pruning - green harvesting in July keeps the yield to just 36 Hl. per Hectare, and gives greater concentration. Hand harvested - open trailers to the winery, where a second sorting takes place. Fermentation takes 15 to 20 days - pumped over twice daily, then drawn off to 50 Hl. vats for the malolactic fermentation. Aging forllows for 18months in oak casks. Wines are bottled unfiltered.
The regular Bandol Rouge is 60% Morvedre, 20% Grenache, 15%Cinsault and 5% Carignan. The special cuvee is 95% Mourvedre and 5% older vines Carignan.
The Rose wines - Cuvee Ste. Anne is 45% Mourvedre, 30% Cinsault and 25% Grenache. The Cuvee Ste. Catherine is 95% Morvedre and 5% Cinsault. Low temperature fermentation in stainless steel - followed by extraction of juice by pressing, cloudy maceration or drainage ( free run ). Malolactic fermentation follows - then the wines are bottled.
White wine is 45% Clairette, 35% Ugni Blanc and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. Winemaking ptocess is the same as the Rose wines.
A Vin de Pay Var is also made in red and rose from 70% Carignan, 20% Cinsault and 10% Grenache.
Estate is owned and operated by Cedric Gravier, who acquired the family business in 1996.
The name " La Suffrane" comes from a reference to a lady friend of the Bailiff of Suffrane, a former owner of the land now occupied by the Domaine La Suffrane
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| 1999 Bandol Rouge Domaine La Suffrane |
| Dark purple ruby color. Attractive fruity nose - some earthiness also - but primarily black currant/blackberry fruit driven. Quite a bit of berry fruit, with some firm tannins. Finishes strongly - tannin and berry fruit.
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| 1999 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Les Lauves Domaine La Suffrane |
| Even darker - more black/purple in color. Deep, penetrating blackberry aromas - some spice.Deep, berry fruit - very strong tannins, which will need substantial time. Finish is long, but the tannins continue.
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| 2000 Bandol Rose Cuvee Ste. Anne Domaine La Suffrane |
| Salmon color - more orange than pink. Attractive fruity nose - up front sweet floral and berry. Sweet edged strawberry flavor - good acidity - moderate finish. An attractive fresh wine.
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| 2000 Bandol Rose Cuvee Ste. Catherine Domaine La Suffrane |
| More orange color than the Ste. Anne Cuvee - pink toned peach. More penetrating nose - expressive Mourvedre character. Slightly bitter berry fruit - more fruit stone in character - much longer finish. Likely a better food wine, but the Ste. Anne Cuvee was more attractive in the beginning.
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| Domaine de l'Olivette |
| Visited June 3, 2002. Produce three Bandol wines - rouge, rose and blanc. The red production is 37 Hl per Hectare - maceration 15 to 20 days - held 18 months in oak casks. It's a blend of Mourvedre - minimum 60% - , Grenache and Carignan. Generally possesses much concentration and extract, and ages extremely well. The white is a blend of Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. The Rose is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Mourvedre - fermented 15 to 20 days - no malolactic fermentation to preserve the natural acidity. |
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| 2000 Bandol Rose Domaine de l'Olivette |
| 40% Cinsault, 30% Grenache and 30% Mourvedre. Bottled in March, 2002 - 14% alcohol. Bright orange/pink color. Attractive penetrating floral and fruit aromas. Clean - excellent acidity - fresh citrus - good finesse - attractive finish. A bit "hot" due to the alcohol level.
Harvest down 20% in 2000. Gradually increasing the Mourvedre in the cepage. This should bring more depth and body to the wine in bottle.
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| 2000 Bandol Rouge Domaine de l'Olivette |
| 60% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache and 10% Cinsault. 100% malolactic fermentation.
Extremely dark purple color.Aromas a bit subdued - spicey dark berry fruit. Dark berry fruit - husky tannins - moderate length - plenty of extract - lots of blackberry fruit. Will need time in bottle.
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| Domaine Lafran-Veyrolles |
| Estate situated near La Cadiere d'Azur. Visited on June 4, 2002.
Therte are 10 Hectares of vineyards - 8 Hectares in production and 2 Hectares being replanted.
Normal plantings - 6 H of Mourvedre, 1 H of Grenache, 1 H of Cinsault, and 2 H planted to Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Carignan.
The white wine is 70% Clairette and 30% Ugni Blanc - cool fermentation at between 19 - 21C - 18 days. Full malolactic - finishes in October. Holds 6 months before bottling.
The rose wine is 75% Mourvedre, 15% Cinsault and 10% Grenache. Fermentation at 19 - 22C. Aged in steel tank for 6 months prior to bottling.
Two cuvees of red wine - Cuvee Tradition and Cuvee Speciale. The Cuvee Tradition is 70% Mourvedre, with 10% each of Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan. Fermentation in 50 Hl casks at 25 - 31C - maceration 25 days - aged in oak for 18 months - no filtration. The Cuvee Speciale - just 500 cases made - is 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache. A strict selection of the oldest vines - winemaking same as the Tradition - with 20 months aging in oak barrels prior to bottling. Not filtered. Fine wines - likely a bit expensive for our market.
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| 2001 Bandol Rose Domaine Lafran-Veyrolles |
| Light pink in color. Very fruity nose - some floral. Crisp acidity. Delightful wine - clean and lasting. Really quite good. |
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| 2000 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Tradition Domaine Lafran-Veyrolles |
| Medium dark purple toned ruby color. Smiky fruit aromas. Quite tannic - fuzzy - ripe blackberry fruit. Clean focused - excellent structure. |
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| 2000 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Speciale Domaine Lafran-Veyrolles |
| Very dark purple ruby color. Penetrating well defined aromas - expression of dark berry fruit. Deep currant fruit - great concentration - plenty of extract - lasts well on the palate. Tannins underly fruit - but will need some time - probably 4 or 5 years. Should be a fine bottle of wine. To be bottled this Summer.
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| 1999 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Speciale Domaine Lafran-Veyrolles |
| Late harvest in 1999 - completed in late October.
Extremely dark color. Deep and full - more developed - pronounced blackberry fruit - some truffles - clean and penetrating. Quite elegant - currant and blackberry fruit - tannic - but the wine is really comning together. Fairly hot - high in alcohol - finishes long.
Needs time, but this is most impressive.
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| Domaine Roche-Redonne |
| Visited this property on June 5, 2002. There are 12 Hectares of vineyards in three parcels. Situated near the village of La Cadiere d'Azur. Approx. 11 Hectares within the Bandol appellation :
White - 0.7 H. - Clairette and Ugni Blanc. 23 Hl. of production.
Rose - 4.2 H. - 50/50 Mourvedre and Grenache. 160 Hl. of production.
Red - 6.1 H. - 85% Mourvedre, 10% Grenache and 5% Carignan. Produces 200 Hl. of wine.
The remaining 0.8 H. is Vin de Pay Var - all Carignan - produces 30 Hl. of wine.
The white and rose wines - pneumatic press - temperature controlled fermentation tanks. Just one hour of maceration for the rose wines. The reds are destemmed - crushed - long fermentation, which is also temperature controlled - fermentation at about 15 days - maceration 3 weeks - aged over 19 months.
Total production - 50,000 bottles of Bandol wines - average yield 30 Hl/Hectare. Red production is increasing. Wines have achieved a large number of awards and medals. Cuvee La Lyre Rouge is normally 80% Mourvedre and 20% Grenache - changes slightly with each vintage. Cuvee Les Bartavelles Rouge is 99% Mourvedre and 1% Grenache.
Estate has been family owned for 3 generations.
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| 2000 Bandol Rouge Cuvee La Lyre Domaine Roche-Redonne |
| Very dark in color - opaque purple/black. Full intoxicating aromas - spice, smoke and berry fruit. A bit oxidized ( bottle had been previously opened several days earlier ) -
fuzzy tannins - smoky blackberry fruit - long finish.
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| 1999 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Les Bartavelles Domaine Roche-Redonne |
| Another previously opened bottle. Extremely deep black/purple - full and opaque. Smoky - spicey - some herbaceousness in the aromas - didn't appear fresh.
Clean, round cherry and raspberry fruit on the palate - soft tannins - extends out to a pleasing moderate finish.
Next bottles opened fresh.
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| 1999 Bandol Rouge Cuvee La Lyre Domaine Roche-Redonne |
| Lighter in color - but full ruby/purple. Full, deep dark cherry and spicey oak aromas. Softer - ripe sweet cherry and blackberry - clean - tannins underly the fruit. A very
long finish.
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| 2000 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Les Bartavelles Domaine Roche-Redonne |
| Lighter ruby - pink edge. Undeveloped nose - some smokey - herbs - in the aromas. A bit rough edged - some fruit comes through, but finishes light. Not as attractive.
Next few wines from cask.
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| 2001 Bandol Rouge Cuvee La Lyre Domaine Roche-Redonne |
| Darker - ruby/purple - extremely deep.Attractive nose - deep, penetrating fruit. Clean, sweet berry fruit - tannins - very attractive finish.
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| 2001 Bandol Rouge Experimental Cuvee - from Barrel Domaine Roche-Redonne |
| This was 100% Mourvedre - aged in small oak barrel. Extremely dark - purple ruby. Oaky toned aromas - a bit smokey. Definite oak on the palate - a bit rough - underlying fruit, by somewhat overpowered by the oak. This will need to be cut with the regular Mourvedre to soften the attack of the oak.
Cask Samples
2001 Cinsault
2001 Grenache
2001 Mourvedre
This was pretty hard on the palate - but enjoyed the opportunbity to taste these wines. A bit of carbon dioxide, which was normal. Lots of tannins and acidity coming forth ahead of the fruit.
Our host - owner Genevriere Tonnier - very knowledgeable and quite charming.
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| Domaine de la Tour de Bon |
| This estate comprises 10 Hectares of vineyards, planted to Mourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Clairette, Ugni Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Vermentino. |
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| 2001 Bandol Rose Domaine de la Tour de Bon |
| Blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault.Pink salmon color - quite bright looking. Aromatic and fresh on the nose - light fruit and some floral. Typical flavor of a Mourvedre dominated Rose - slightly bitter edge - fruit stone, along with the tree fruit flavors. A good food wine.
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| 1999 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Tradition Domaine de la Tour de Bon |
| 55% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache and 15% Cinsault - 16 day fermentation - 10 months in oak cask. Very dark - purple/red - almost black at the centre. Deep, clean penetrating berry fruit aromas. Concentrated blackberry fruit flavors - soft styled tannins - extended finish. Liked this wine ! |
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| 2000 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Tradition Domaine de la Tour de Bon |
| Same cepage. Even darker than the previous wine -black/purple - totally opaque. Smokey berry fruit - not as penetrating on the nose - shorter on the start and finish.
Quite tannic - fuzzy/velvety - blackberry fruit, finishes with tannins. Lasting finish. Seemed very young.
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| 1999 Bandol Rouge Cuvee Saint Ferriel Domain de la Tour de Bon |
| Old vines - 65 years. 95% Mourvedre and 5% Carignan. Just 2500 bottles produced. Smoky herbaceous nose. Very tannic - overwhelms the fruit. A bitter tannic finish. Really needs time. Isn't showing well here at all.
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| 2000 Bandol Blanc Domaine de la Tour de Bon |
| All four white grapes in this cepage. Extremely small production. Clean, straw yellow. Aromatic - really attractive - sweet honey and fine fruit on the nose. Round, rich, some tree fruit flavors - peaches - sweet fruity finish. An extremely fine wine - really enjoyed this one.
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| Others visited |
| Other visits included Chateau Pradeaux, Domaine de Fregate, Chateau Romassan - Domaines Ott, Domaine Pey Neuf, Chateau Gaussen and Chateau Ste. Anne. |
