Bandol-------great QPR wine

[keith_prothero]

Have long thought that Bandol offers some brilliant value,especially for red wine. Producers such as Tempier,Pradeaux and Pibarnon make absolutely great wine although this is a style of wine that needs many many years bottle age to be at its best. Suspect that many drink the wine far too young,and I urge you to either have the patience to cellar the wine for twenty plus years,or buy mature wine. There is a lot of this available,certainly in the UK,and still very reasonably priced compared to Bordeaux and Burgundy.And I promise mature Bandol is sensational !!

[Gary_York]

Like the wines in some vintages. Especially with some age. But the Tempier wines are hardly a QPR anymore, at least in the US. And in fact may be overpriced.

[larry_schaffer]

I think that the QPR here that Keith mentioned is ‘relative to Bordeaux and Burgundy’, and, to me, this certainly rings true. One of the ‘challenges’ with Bandol reds in general is laying them down as long as they really need to be in order to fully develop. Young mourvedre generally doesn’t offer up the wine’s full potential - it needs a good couple of years for everything to ‘come together’ and really fire on all cylinders. Alas, most consumers simply don’t have the patience for that . . .

Cheers!

[Gary_Rust]

Young mourvedre generally doesn’t offer up the wine’s full potential - it needs a good couple of years for everything to ‘come together’ and really fire on all cylinders. [/quote]


Couple of years? Really? Couple of decades . . .?

[W_Leonard]

The New York Times featured Bandol Rouge last week:

Taming of the Bestial Bandol (Published 2014)

Disclaimer: I work for the importer of one of the featured wines

[Ian_Fitzsimmons]

Bastide did well.

[keith_prothero]

@Gary Rust

Young mourvedre generally doesn’t offer up the wine’s full potential - it needs a good couple of years for everything to ‘come together’ and really fire on all cylinders.

Couple of years? Really? Couple of decades . . .?[/quote]
agreed and I assume Larry meant that

[Mike_Grammer]

That’s why you buy the Tempier Rose, which only takes about 5 years to come around

I love Mourvedre…I really should buy more of it, even with the 20 years wait time.

[Ian_Fitzsimmons]

As of 2012 Burgundy pricing, Bandol is a candidate become my retirement wine.

[Alan_Rath]

@Mike Grammer

That’s why you buy the Tempier Rose, which only takes about 5 years to come around

Mike may have been kidding, but just in case I’ll say that I put the Tempier Rose in lists of great, affordable wines. BUT: my recommendation is to drink it young, when it shows it’s most youthful fireworks flavors. After a year or two, those dissipate, and all the vintages seem to coalesce into a very nice, spice-driven wine. Personally, I would drink it out of the tap on the bottling line if I could

[Gary_York]

Every wine in the world has value “relative” to Bordeaux and Burgundy.

[Howard_Cooper]

@keith prothero

or buy mature wine.

Pretty rare IMHE.

[Clayton_Wai-Poi]

@Howard Cooper

@keith prothero

or buy mature wine.

Pretty rare IMHE.

Agreed, love the handful of aged Bandol I’ve had. See almost none at retail or auction. Fairly inexpensive on release if you’re prepared to wait.

[craig_v]

Or, you could pay $80 plus per btl for Mouvedre dominated Beaucastel. I love both producers but maybe we’re just expecting Bandol to be cheap when its really the equal of a lot of CDP at nearly twice the price?

@Gary York

Like the wines in some vintages. Especially with some age. But the Tempier wines are hardly a QPR anymore, at least in the US. And in fact may be overpriced.

[Clayton_Wai-Poi]

Thanks to this thread I grabbed the one older bandol I could find on wine searcher. A 1990 Tempier La Tortine for $50. Score.

[keith_prothero]

great Clayton----should be wonderful and what an amazing price !!

[Gerhard_P]

I agree that Bandol can be a great wine - and that it also can be a relative value compared to Bx and Bg … (but not necessarily to Rh).
It´s also true that the best need long cellaring to really show their quality. However the best wines are not cheap …

But there are also many (only) fruity, commercial Bandols meant to be drunk quite young … often from negociants or cooperatives … (but rarely exported world-wide )

I think it would make sense to list the best producers and cuvees HERE: (and I mean the ageworthy ones …).

I start:
Domaine TEMPIER (regular B, Migoua, Tourtine, Cabassaou)
Domaine PIBARNON
LA BASTIDE BLANCHE (Fontaneou, Longue Garde, Estagnol)
Chateau PRADEAUX
Domaine BUNAN (Moulin des Costes)

Older ROMASSAN (Ott) can be excellent, but haven´t had younger vintages.

Price levels are between 20 (regular) and 60 € (Cabassaou)

[keith_prothero]

To that list I would certainly add Pibarnon. Have many older vintages which drink beautifully after twenty plus years in bottle

[Gerhard_P]

@keith prothero

To that list I would certainly add Pibarnon. Have many older vintages which drink beautifully after twenty plus years in bottle

Ehm … Pibarnon is 2nd on the list already …

@Clayton Wai-Poi

Thanks to this thread I grabbed the one older bandol I could find on wine searcher. A 1990 Tempier La Tortine for $50. Score.

I´ve seen that, unfortunately in Chicago, which is across the ocean from me.

[keith_prothero]

Sorry Gerhard–missed that!! Pleased to advise just managed to acquire a case of 89 Tourtine and Migoua !!!