Stunning Bandol Rosé at a price you won't believe!
Pink is currently the hottest color in wine. Rosé isn’t a new trend — it just feels like that in this country. Europeans regularly consume the pink beverage all throughout the year… not only in the summer.
For years in this country, Rosé was a dirty word in the wine world. The mere whisper of the word would conjure up visions of those insipid, sweet wines from Portugal that invaded our shores years ago. Some years later, White Zinfandel came along and pounded the final nails in the Rosé coffin, cementing an anti-Rosé sentiment that would last for decades.
It’s been a joy to see so many of my customers rediscover Rosé! For some, it was a trip abroad, perhaps to Paris or Provence. For others, it was finally giving in to my perpetual, yet gentle suggestion that “you should really try a bottle of dry Rosé.” The keyword here, of course is “dry.”
Aside from being a terrific thirst-quencher, dry Rosé is an absolutely brilliant wine to pair with a ton of foods when Red or White wine just won’t do the trick. The list is long, however, some of my favorites would include:
- saffron-infused dishes, such as paella, arroz con pollo, risotto Milanese, and especially bouillabaisse
- grilled and seared salmon and tuna
- ham, anything ham
- low country cuisine, notably shrimp and grits
Bandol - Vineyards on the Med
Bandol is a tiny wine-producing region on the south-east Mediterranean coast of France. Along with Tavel, its neighbor to the north-west, it produces some of the most complex, nuanced, and sought after Rosé in the world. Here, Mourvèdre is the prevalent varietal and it’s perfectly suited to the hot, maritime climate.
Cool nights and ocean breezes temper the punishing Mediterranean sun, and the southern facing slopes rising into the vineyards of the region take full advantage of these conditions.
Domaine Le Galantin and the Pascal family
Domaine Le Galantin was established in 1972 by Achille and Lilianne Pascal, starting with just a few hectares of vineyards. Their gorgeous seaside vineyards have grown to more than 22 hectares, producing predominantly Mourvèdre and Clairette. The sun-baked, steeply terraced vineyards dot the hills around the village of Plan-du-Castellet and are comprised of clay-limestone soil — again, perfect for Mourvèdre. They even have a few hectares in the village of Bandol in a small area that has resisted the wave of seaside urbanization and commercialization.
Brother and sister Jérôme Pascal and Céline Devictor/Pascal have taken over operation of the winery and vineyards and are following in their parent’s footsteps — adhering to time-honored traditional farming and winemaking practices.
In the glass, this delicious blend of 50 % Mourvèdre, 25 % Cinsault, and 25 % Grenache has everything I’m looking for in a Bandol Rosé. The lighter color and body of the 2018 offer more lifted freshness and won’t require any extended time in the bottle — this is a Bandol for immediate drinking pleasure and it will develop and drink like a dream through 2020!
Look for notes of spicy berry, peach, nectarine and just a hint of pink grapefruit. Thanks to the close proximity to the Med, there is a tender underpinning of salty minerality along with a whisper of tannin on the finish that ties it all together!
Pair this pink jewel with seafood of all types, chicken, pork, ham, and spicy ethnic cuisines.
If you’ve read this far, and you’re familiar with Bandol Rosé, you’re certainly expecting to see a $30 price tag. Not today, and not for locals and email subscribers! By the solid case, this matches the lowest price in the country for this wine.
There are only 8 cases in play of this Bandol best-buy, so don’t wait on this one. Give a call with a credit card and we’ll get your purchase ready for pickup at your convenience.
Domaine Le Galantine
Plan-du Castellet, Bandol, France
Bandol Rosé - Can't make it in? Call 828-253-0060 with your credit card number.
We'll hold your purchase in our temperature controlled cellar for pickup at your convenience
or we'll arrange for delivery.