I was lucky and tasted all the '15s out of foudre on my last visit in '16.
Awesome. Pradeaux in Pibarnon are great visits and really different from one another.
What we do with Mourvèdre so different from Bandol (and most places). These stops don’t make me want to do things differently winemaking wise. In fact, they really motivate me to go more deeply down our own path. What I get from these visits (besides the opportunity to taste mind-blowing wine) is a chance to further my understanding of Mourvèdre via its most classic / benchmark form and to really see how it is a remarkable reflector of terroir.
Too bad it’s winter. You can catch the water park next to Pradeaux in the summer.
Late growing season 2016 was just about perfect in Bandol, especially higher up, and from what I saw in person in August and early September, the grapes looked healthy and clean. I’d expect the key to balance was not picking too late. Am looking forward to tasting the 2016s.
How do the soils in Bandol compare/contrast with the various soils you work with in California. I know you have a wide range of soil types at your disposal. Are any of them similar to things you see in Bandol?
I know- We were bummed we couldn’t hit the water slides In terms of weather, you would have seen pretty much all of harvest. I think most places were all in by late 1st week / early 2nd week of Sept. in '16. Across the board I liked the '16s.
Yes. If you dig them, I would. You have some approachable wines in there + a few rock stars. The next 4 vintages include one fairly open wine and 3 back to back powerful vintages.
The terroir is really different. They have a lot of of ancient clay and limestone. We work with both clay and limestone, but not in the same place. Antle (with new owners now called Rodnick Farm) is the closest with all the limestone, but still pretty different. Apart from soil, Bandol is generally at lower elevation from where most of our vineyards are and they are closer to the sea (which is a lot warmer than the Pacific). Where it is similar is that it is often hot and dry.
A few years ago I found one on a website that I can no longer seem to track down. It’s a pretty unique / specific spot. Using nearby regions (S. Rhone / Provence) can sometimes be a bit misleading.
I’m not Hardy, but I’m sure that’s the case, as Tempier is just 3 miles/5km or so from the coast, on a small plain above the town of Bandol, as you can see on this map.
For comparison, Chateauneuf is about 50 miles/75km inland, and there are several significant ridges between it and the sea.
Bandol is also far enough east that it’s sheltered from the worst of the Mistral, which blows down the Rhone Valley.
What I often wonder about is the ageability of the white wines of Bandol. I have had limited exposure to them, especially bottles over 3-5 years old.
The grapes in the Domaine Tempier Blanc include Clairette, Ugni blanc, Bourboulenc and Marsanne. Marsanne? Okay, I can see how that can be delectable for a long period of time. The other grape varieties are not typically exalted as top-tier candidates for extended cellaring.
The most thrilling bottle of wine I’ve had was a 1981 La Tourtine that I thought was DOA upon opening. Turned out it just needed time to become mind-blowing. And I’ve tried to chase vintage Tempiers since then, with very little luck – lots of bottles didn’t seem to age well, or were stored badly, or I just got the wrong vintage.
Interesting that you would refer to that wine as, based on a Robert Parker review at the same time Kermit Lynch was offering it (for $10 a bottle), that was the first Tempier I bought. I bought frequently through the 80’s and then in 2000 and 2001 but stopped after that as I wasn’t sure I could outlive them (I’m 68 now). I still have several wines (including a couple of magnums) from 1989 which are special occasion wines as well as the 2000 and 2001’s which I’m trying to age. In 2004 I had a wonderful visit there where we had to persuade Daniel Ravier to stop opening wines.
I think I’ll buy some of the 2016 La Miguoa (my favorite), but it will be for my nephews.
You are absolutely correct. They could not be more different. You go to Pradeaux and everything is so artisanal that you just expect the wines to be great. I was not sure what to expect when I went to Pibarnon (at that time I had less experience with their wines). They just seemed a bit glitzier and I wondered if I would see more modern over the top wines. But, although the wines were fleshier than the Pradeaux wines, the Pibarnon wines are quite nice in their own regard and not at all over the top IMHO.
In terms of weather, you would have seen pretty much all of harvest. I think most places were all in by late 1st week / early 2nd week of Sept. in '16. Across the board I liked the '16s.