I am heading to Bandol in a couple of days, and currently have visits set up at Tempier and Pibarnon. What other wineries I should be on the look out for? Thanks.
Can’t speak to the visit experiance, but in terms of the wines, Pradeaux.
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Thanks. We probably won’t visit any other wineries, but I am thinking about at restaurants, etc. I have heard of Pradeaux, don’t recall tasting anything from them. I’ll keep an eye out.
Those are the only two anybody knows.
Ok, ok – I’m exaggerating, but not by much…
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My wife just gave me a map with sixty wineries, almost all of which I have never heard of. I figured someone here would know a few more!
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Hi Jeff,
People on par with Pibarnon:
Bastide Blanche
Gros Nore
A second tier:
Dom la Suffrene
Bunan
Dom le Galantin
Saint Anne
Thanks,
Zachary
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I’m also a fan of Pradeaux and Gros Nore, and Tempier of course.
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I visited Tempier and Pradeaux last summer (and would recommend both). You can stop by Pradeaux during their open hours for a tasting if you have extra time, no reservation needed.
Others to look out for at restaurants, even if they’re a bit outside of Bandol: Chateau Simone (Palette) and Domaine du Bagnol (Cassis)
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Terrebrune
Great rose. Great red.
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If you fancy a change from all that Bandol. a visit to Clos Cibonne is highly recommended. It’s about 30 minutes east. They make great and almost unique Rosé using the tibouren grape
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My wife (non wine enthusiast) and I very much enjoyed our appointment-visits at both Tempier and Sainte-Anne 4 years ago.
I’ve been drinking a lot of Tempier before then, but being shown where the grapes come from was truly happy times.
Sainte-Anne was a fantastic visit and was so very enjoyable with bottles brought out and uncorked to taste in the gardens of the beautiful rustic property. All French were spoken (my wife helped speak/translate), but even then, wine-speak among enthusiasts transcends translations.
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I don’t know anything about visits there, but Chateau de Selle (which makes Domaines Ott rose) would be one of the top producers, I think.
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Vannières and Bégude
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For white I would say they are absolutely first tier and perhaps alone even, although Gros Nore was really nice too not that long ago.
Many have been mentioned already, I am definitely a big Pradeaux and Terrebrune stan as well. Also Jean-Pierre Gaussen makes a very ageworthy Bandol in a less flashy/ripe style and older vintages are often offered too. Château Vannières is another classic example that ages really nicely.
Not really capable of adding much, just want to give support to what has been said.
My 1st tier Bandols are:
- Pibarnon
- Pradeaux
- Tempier
- Vannières
And 2nd tier:
- La Bastide Blanche
- Bunan
- Gros 'Noré
- Ray-Jane
1st tiers definitely worth visiting, 2nd tiers all worthwhile to check out if there is enough time.
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Thanks everyone! Really appreciate it.
Not wine or restaurants, but I would suggest Palais Bulles, Gordes, Arles Amphitheatre, Nîmes, and Balazuc.
I don’t know how far out Chateau Simone is. I love their rose’. I hear that their whites are quite interesting/unique (I have never had one); and the location is supposedly very scenic.
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Their rosé is superb (and remarkably long-lived - I’ve had an excellent 1996) but I think their red and whites are even better! Their whites can be a tad fat at times, but they make up with character and complexity what they might be lacking in freshness, and their reds are somewhat similar to the reds of Bandol, but still with a distinctive - perhaps slightly less burly - identity. An excellent producer by all accounts and definitely worth a visit, based on the quality of their wines.
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