The Auswine Forum

BANDOL THE RUN - The Magic of Mourvedre

"Well, the wine exploded with a mighty crash
As we fell into the sun
And the first one said to the second one there
"I hope you're having fun"

Indeed we were having fun, as this was a mighty wine.

It isn't often that someone comes over for lunch with what he described would be "some old shit" and it turns out to be a dark, inky, mineral-laced wine that still needs another 20 years. Well that happened last week with a 30 year-old Bandol in the form of a 1989 Chateau Pradeaux (13%). It took centre stage, distinctive, bold, tannic, and deep with black fruit, needing every morsel of grilled top sirloin to carry it forward. Still youthful, still stubborn, I feel certain it needs another two decades.
At lunch the supporting cast were:

N/V Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve, Mis en Cave 2003, Disgorged 2007 (12%) - aged Champagne for those who like it with lots of depth and heft with weak but fine, persistent bubbles.

1983 Chateau de Pez, Saint-Estephe (12%) - light and lacy, the tannins all but gone, more claret than Bordeaux if you know what I mean but nicely aged, fine and silky.

2001 Antinori Solaia, Toscana IGT (13.5%) - still youthful, dark, and brooding, this needs way more time in bottle. I would not touch a bottle for another 10 or 20 years.

1984 Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley (13.5%) - A last minute pop, decant, and pour, this is past its prime, though still enjoyable for its limited pleasures.

Cheers ............................ Mahmoud.

PS: Take my advice, buy more Bandol, and don't open it until end of days

Haven't had a Bandol in years however Bandol Mourvedre (and/or blends at least in their various bottlings) can be superb. Certainly Bandol tannins are monumental. Curious about the whites from the producers, and also curious about the relatively light TN for the Solaia!

Mahmoud Ali wrote:more claret than Bordeaux if you know what I mean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK0GgCyFyNQ

kenzo wrote: ... and also curious about the relatively light TN for the Solaia!

Sorry about that, I took no notes that afternoon. Perhaps also because I was so taken by the Bandol that it overshadowed the super Tuscan. The Solaia is a Cabernet based wine, and a very fine one, but 19 years is not long in the timeline for such a wine and for me it presented itself as being youthful. My friend only gave it an hours decant and that wasn't enough. The wine was dark, black fruited, fairly reserved, and the tannins still somewhat firm. The wine was very good but not exhibiting any tertiary characteristics and needed far more time. I don't have any Solaia but if I did I would forget about it almost indefinitely. A couple of years a go I opened a 1996 Guado al Tasso , not a particularly fine vintage, and it too wasn't ready. Cabernet based wines of quality need time, plenty of time.

Mahmoud.

Absolutely 100% happy to support any boost for the joys of Bandol.

That ferrous moody mouvedre blend is so rarely a disappointment, and at it's peak, little compares. I've dabbled a little throughout the years, but now happily invest all my bandol money with Gros du Nore or with Domaine Tempier. They have similar luck to places like Margs and Mornington Peninsula with vintages - you really struggle to hit a bad year.

For years I had lunched in Marseille en route to work in Cannes, oblivious to how close Bandol actually was. I stopped off a few years back for a quick lunch of vin de table. A box very much ticked that day.

via collins wrote:Absolutely 100% happy to support any boost for the joys of Bandol.

That ferrous moody mouvedre blend is so rarely a disappointment, and at it's peak, little compares. I've dabbled a little throughout the years, but now happily invest all my bandol money with Gros du Nore or with Domaine Tempier. They have similar luck to places like Margs and Mornington Peninsula with vintages - you really struggle to hit a bad year.

For years I had lunched in Marseille en route to work in Cannes, oblivious to how close Bandol actually was. I stopped off a few years back for a quick lunch of vin de table. A box very much ticked that day.

viacollins, good to see you back on line. I have positive experiences with aged Domaine Templer and especially Chateau Pradeax, and will keep looking for same. In WA, getting aged Bandol is a big ask, and I will keep an eye out.

Have any of you found satisfaction in Australian Mourvedre? I have a couple of them but have yet to open a bottle, one is a '97 d'Arenberg and the other is a '98 from Jenke in the Barossa, from 1890s vines.

Roger Pike made a straight Marius mataro in 2010 which gets a little better each time I open one.

Andrew Caillard made one for a few years that got really positive response, but i have yet to bump into one.

via collins wrote: Andrew Caillard made one for a few years that got really positive response, but i have yet to bump into one.

I tasted it when he first released it and I was impressed. Haven't tried any of the recent vintages.

Turkey Flat also make a decent straight Mouvedre, or at least they used to.