We enjoyed La Bastide Blanche Bandol 2013 with the leftovers of the Leg of Lamb the next day with only 1 1/2 hours of decanting. I got cumin, earthiness, elegant smokiness and finally leather. The fruit was dark here too: A very pleasant experience.
We tried Château de Pibarnon Bandol 2011 with Mrs. Florence Fabricant's excellent recipe for Leg of Lamb Roast. I refrigerated the wine to a temperature of 36 F then decanting it for roughly 3 hours in my Erlenmeyer flask, fine tuning the temperature to 60 by placing the flask on an ice pack in the end. The cork smelled strangely of cinnamon and strawberries. The initial smell of the wine after pouring reminded me of star anise (pastis) and bright strawberry, later I got herbs de provence. Flavors of strawberry, vanilla, and spice with a sharp and peppery end to it. The texture was surprisingly thin, I expected more tannins, I somewhat regretted not tasting the wine before decanting. We enjoyed smelling the empty Erlenmeyer flask the next day.
A week later we tried Domaine du Gros ’Noré Bandol 2012 with the same dish, this time prepared using the correct tea (lapsang souchong). The Leg of Lamb Roast turned out way better this time, the meat was very tender. The wine went thru almost the same decanting procedure. The cork smelled like garlic, the wine of fruit and vanilla pudding. Overall impression: Thick, black and structured. Cold without food I am tasting cinnamon and garlic, maybe lavender. 2 1/2 hours later at 60 F I loved this wine. It had a dark mysterious taste to it. It fascinated my palate with it’s electricity. I got flavors of blueberry, blackberry, plum and lavender. Something about this wine (minerality?) reminded me of an Etna Rosso.
A week later we tried Domaine du Gros ’Noré Bandol 2012 with the same dish, this time prepared using the correct tea (lapsang souchong). The Leg of Lamb Roast turned out way better this time, the meat was very tender. The wine went thru almost the same decanting procedure. The cork smelled like garlic, the wine of fruit and vanilla pudding. Overall impression: Thick, black and structured. Cold without food I am tasting cinnamon and garlic, maybe lavender. 2 1/2 hours later at 60 F I loved this wine. It had a dark mysterious taste to it. It fascinated my palate with it’s electricity. I got flavors of blueberry, blackberry, plum and lavender. Something about this wine (minerality?) reminded me of an Etna Rosso.
The Gro 'Nore 2012 decanted over 3 hours evolved how I imagine a great wine would: rigid tannic to somewhat fruity to deep, strong, layered flavors after unfurling fully. At one point I was reminded of Gigondas flavor and weight but later the surprising roundness with continuing tannins dispelled that thought. The nose fascinated right away with depth of fruit, pine forest and my personal exhilaration. I drank this wine with a pork tenderloin, mushroom, onion creation and would not drink this wine without food otherwise the strong tannins dominate the experience. This wine had that unknown that makes drinking wine unapologetically thrilling, fun and delicious. I'll definitely explore these wines further. Thanks Eric.
We were fortunate to find all three wines except we had to replace the 2011 Chateau Pibarnon with a 2012 vintage. All wines were decanted.
The uniqueness of the Bastide made it my favorite wine of the evening. It showed leather, blackberry and the normal “heat” you get from a red Bandol. It had medium non-harsh tannins and was quite thick on the tongue. It was later served with a wonderful “beef stew” with roasted root vegetables and a reduced wine sauce that was one of the best I have ever had. This food and wine combination won first prize although the wine of the evening was an even split.
The Pibarnon appeared a lot more Provencal on the nose. We noticed the dried herbs including lavender and it was less tannic that the predecessor. With food, which was a gold rice risotto with spinach and roasted almonds, it brought out even more of the gentle herbaceous ness. This wine may have a lot more time left on it and will only get better. We all agreed this wine could be served alone.
The Gros ‘Nore seemed to be a “marriage” of the first two wines. It showed a nose of blackberry and earth. It was dense and concentrated but showed many of the same herbs as the Pibarnon. It was served with a Chinese cabbage wrapped eggplant. It did not work but the smoked duck breast on the top was a winner.
George Erdle – Harper’s Fine Dining – Charlotte, NC
The uniqueness of the Bastide made it my favorite wine of the evening. It showed leather, blackberry and the normal “heat” you get from a red Bandol. It had medium non-harsh tannins and was quite thick on the tongue. It was later served with a wonderful “beef stew” with roasted root vegetables and a reduced wine sauce that was one of the best I have ever had. This food and wine combination won first prize although the wine of the evening was an even split.
The Pibarnon appeared a lot more Provencal on the nose. We noticed the dried herbs including lavender and it was less tannic that the predecessor. With food, which was a gold rice risotto with spinach and roasted almonds, it brought out even more of the gentle herbaceous ness. This wine may have a lot more time left on it and will only get better. We all agreed this wine could be served alone.
The Gros ‘Nore seemed to be a “marriage” of the first two wines. It showed a nose of blackberry and earth. It was dense and concentrated but showed many of the same herbs as the Pibarnon. It was served with a Chinese cabbage wrapped eggplant. It did not work but the smoked duck breast on the top was a winner.
George Erdle – Harper’s Fine Dining – Charlotte, NC
I love an eggplant parm, and any dish called a “French eggplant parm” has got my attention. Intrigued by Ali’s query, I tried the Gros Noré (’11) with a Tian d’Aubergine tinyurl.com/j7yu6rt . A new dish for me; can’t say how it came out. But with the GN: pair magic.
Key word in “French eggplant parm” is “French.” There’s no happy Italian cheesiness to it. Just strong, serious eggplant and tomato, with a bit of béchamel-type custard to hold it together. You could sit down to a meal of this after a hard day plowing eggplant fields.
And with it, the GN was like chocolate layer cake. Or was it paté? Words fail.
The mouthfeel of the GN was extraordinary: thick and creamy yet not (very) heavy and not at all oily or wet. A texture like liquid paté, if that makes any sense. The nose was more delicate than its flavors. There was a lot of medicinal cherry, blueberry and black pepper, a bit of green pepper and plywood. And, between bites of bitter eggplant and acidy tomato, there was, at first, a hint of cocoa, and as the meal progressed, the unmistakable taste of chocolate. Maybe with a less cutting dish the GN might be brawny and hard. With the tian, desserty-sweet. Yes, like chocolate layer cake. A good one.
+++
Of the three Bandols, only the first I tried, la Bastide, fit Eric’s “ferocious” descriptor. It was also the youngest and the least successfully paired. With juicy hard proteins, the P and especially the GN were unexpectedly rich and sweet. Big cuddly Bandol teddy bears.
Key word in “French eggplant parm” is “French.” There’s no happy Italian cheesiness to it. Just strong, serious eggplant and tomato, with a bit of béchamel-type custard to hold it together. You could sit down to a meal of this after a hard day plowing eggplant fields.
And with it, the GN was like chocolate layer cake. Or was it paté? Words fail.
The mouthfeel of the GN was extraordinary: thick and creamy yet not (very) heavy and not at all oily or wet. A texture like liquid paté, if that makes any sense. The nose was more delicate than its flavors. There was a lot of medicinal cherry, blueberry and black pepper, a bit of green pepper and plywood. And, between bites of bitter eggplant and acidy tomato, there was, at first, a hint of cocoa, and as the meal progressed, the unmistakable taste of chocolate. Maybe with a less cutting dish the GN might be brawny and hard. With the tian, desserty-sweet. Yes, like chocolate layer cake. A good one.
+++
Of the three Bandols, only the first I tried, la Bastide, fit Eric’s “ferocious” descriptor. It was also the youngest and the least successfully paired. With juicy hard proteins, the P and especially the GN were unexpectedly rich and sweet. Big cuddly Bandol teddy bears.
1
This time we were able to find all three choices although the Pibarnon was a 2010 and it was available nearby at Joe Canal's in Lawrence, NJ. This lesson made it clear to me what decanting can do I took a sip after pouring and felt the roughness on the back of my tongue. Two hours of sitting smoothed things out quite a bit. The first night we made the leg of lamb recipe from the link in Eric's column. It was so yummy with the wine and we were so happy eating the lamb and roasted vegetables and tasting the wine that we weren't up to making comparisons. Each one had a solidity and fruity earthiness that I wouldn't pick one over the other. We had leftover lamb and leftover Bandol for the next two nights before finally finishing the wine off with broccoli with mushrooms, cheese and tomatoes. I would think Bandol would be a good wine with other mushroom dishes. I know you said Bandol is better for sweater season but I bet if aggressive air conditioning has you wearing a sweater in August, Bandol and a burger might be a good paring. Many thanks for the introduction.
1
For the first time, I think, we were able to obtain the three recommended wines. In addition, one of our group dipped into his wine cellar to offer up three aged Bandols. What a treat! We started with the newer three, and the Pibarnon was preferred by most (there were 8 last night, so no complete agreement on anything). We loved its nose of cherries, herb/spice, chocolate, earth. On the palate, it was soft, velvety, with a nice sweetness. The '11 Nore was very earthy, with mushroom, fig, cassis, herbs on the nose and dark fruit on the palate. The '13 Bastide Blanche was the least interesting at first. It exuded something like canned vegetables, was tannic and sour. With cheese, however, it opened up and behaved much better. This was true of all three, of course. As we sniff and taste, time passes and they are changing as we discuss. By the time we get to food, they've opened, revealed new layers, tamed. As one reviewer commented, they make each other better.
The three aged Bandols were 1985 "La Migoua" Tempier, 1985 "La Tourtine" Tempier; and 1988 "Cabassaou" Tempier. These were a delight. M and C started off smelling musty and funky but after a short time resolved to lovely dried fruit, cherry, perfume. Cherry was the overwhelming front-runner for taste, with strawberry and mushroom. All three wines elicited swoons and sighs. The aged wines were fabulous with the cassoulet, standing up to the hearty beans, lamb and sausage. The younger paired best with cheeses.
The three aged Bandols were 1985 "La Migoua" Tempier, 1985 "La Tourtine" Tempier; and 1988 "Cabassaou" Tempier. These were a delight. M and C started off smelling musty and funky but after a short time resolved to lovely dried fruit, cherry, perfume. Cherry was the overwhelming front-runner for taste, with strawberry and mushroom. All three wines elicited swoons and sighs. The aged wines were fabulous with the cassoulet, standing up to the hearty beans, lamb and sausage. The younger paired best with cheeses.
5
My second-ever Bandol, the 2011 Pibarnon, could hardly have been more different from my first, the ’13 Bastide. The P was joyful and exuberant; la B, brooding and aloof. (Not for nothing does the name Bastide translate as “walled town.”)
On pour, the 6-y-o P was approachable. Big and fruit-filled, where the 4-y-o B had been austere and hard, unenjoyable before it’d taken in an hour or more of air.
And where dinner with la Bastide was cloaked in mystery, Pibarnon dinner was a boisterous affair; one of those occasions where the wine sings happily and loud—Barb called it “rich and wonderful”—and thoughtful contemplation has no place at the table. Partly it was the pairings, which were better than my first attempts. Garlic-sautéed lamb tinyurl.com/jerdof7 had the juicy, meaty quality that I’d missed in the stews tried with the B. And caramelized parsnip and onion tinyurl.com/zckjkhd. brought a whirl of new flavors that the dark and pensive mushrooms lacked. The earthy-sweet root vegetables were surprising and playful and fun with the P; I suspect the introverted B would not have got on at all.
But... later, alongside with the P, I sampled a 4-night-old, 7-year-old, not-that-special California petite sirah. It was substantial with the lamb, and after it, the P seemed frivolously sweet.
So, which Bandol would I bring to a party of wine-snob friends? The Pibarnon, in an instant. And which would wine-snob me most like to explore again at home? The Bastide, in an instant.
On pour, the 6-y-o P was approachable. Big and fruit-filled, where the 4-y-o B had been austere and hard, unenjoyable before it’d taken in an hour or more of air.
And where dinner with la Bastide was cloaked in mystery, Pibarnon dinner was a boisterous affair; one of those occasions where the wine sings happily and loud—Barb called it “rich and wonderful”—and thoughtful contemplation has no place at the table. Partly it was the pairings, which were better than my first attempts. Garlic-sautéed lamb tinyurl.com/jerdof7 had the juicy, meaty quality that I’d missed in the stews tried with the B. And caramelized parsnip and onion tinyurl.com/zckjkhd. brought a whirl of new flavors that the dark and pensive mushrooms lacked. The earthy-sweet root vegetables were surprising and playful and fun with the P; I suspect the introverted B would not have got on at all.
But... later, alongside with the P, I sampled a 4-night-old, 7-year-old, not-that-special California petite sirah. It was substantial with the lamb, and after it, the P seemed frivolously sweet.
So, which Bandol would I bring to a party of wine-snob friends? The Pibarnon, in an instant. And which would wine-snob me most like to explore again at home? The Bastide, in an instant.
1
2014 La Bastide Blanche-Decanted for 1 ½ hours but first, out of the bottle the tannins had a lot of grip, all the classic mourvedre’ elements were present in a full bodied manner, and in good balance (blackberry, pepper. cocoa powder, leather, gamey meat) and the acidity was bracing (tingled my nose!) So much going on, so enjoyable. After decanting, the tannins slipped into the background and sweet side dominated with all manner of rich flavors (plum, blueberry, cassis) and a pronounced smoky/matchbook aftertaste into the finish. This was less of a match for yet another cote de boeuf, too much juicy fruit, but still worked well enough to not complain. By the end of the bottle it was smooth and relaxed and very reflective of a provençale wine: herbal, comforting, interesting, warm and very inviting. And, you have to love the French’s ability to produce a 14.5% ABV wine and have it be fresh and not feel over-extracted.
2014 La Bastide Blanche-Decanted for 1 ½ hours but first, out of the bottle the tannins had a lot of grip, all the classic mourvedre’ elements were present in a full bodied manner, and in good balance (blackberry, pepper. cocoa powder, leather, gamey meat) and the acidity was bracing (tingled my nose!) So much going on, so enjoyable. After decanting, the tannins slipped into the background and sweet side dominated with all manner of rich flavors (plum, blueberry, cassis) and a pronounced smoky/matchbook aftertaste into the finish. This was less of a match for yet another cote de boeuf, too much juicy fruit, but still worked well enough to not complain. By the end of the bottle it was smooth and relaxed and very reflective of a provençale wine: herbal, comforting, interesting, warm and very inviting. And, you have to love the French’s ability to produce a 14.5% ABV wine and have it be fresh and not feel over-extracted.
2012 Les Restanques de Pibarnon-Right out of the bottle I experienced a high spirited nose of garrigue, light petrol and unripe strawberries. Drinking from the start it had strong but supple tannins and a fruity body with wisps of black olive and roasted meats, nice balance between the two (I love this tension between sweet and saline in these wines) This seemed ready to go out of the bottle but I decanted for about an hour and served it with my usual pepper crusted cote de boeuf and roasted red potatoes and veggies à la provençale and it was a very good pairing. While the savory, gamey nature of the wine remained ever-present, the wine’s fruit core came forward and the tannins made friends with fats in the meat and oil in the veggies. By the end of the bottle, there was lovely integration
in the wine from nose to lingering finish.
in the wine from nose to lingering finish.
2013 Domaine du Gros ’Noré Bandol: The least tannic, most fruit driven of the three, short decant. Felt the abv on this one masking things but cooked plum, sweet blackberries and black olives came through up front and mixed with leathery, charred wood and tobacco for the finish. Had with cassoulet (top contender for my favorite dish of all time) and it held up well but as the fruits tried to come forward in each mouthful, the high alcohol diminished them before they reached the apex and then dominated in a burnt tasting finish. Somewhat “new world” for me, reminds me of a well made, fruit driven zinfandel, which is also nice to drink given the occasion.
Of the three, I preferred the Pibarnon for it's structure and restraint followed by the La Bastide Blanche with good complexity and sense of terroir.
Of the three, I preferred the Pibarnon for it's structure and restraint followed by the La Bastide Blanche with good complexity and sense of terroir.
1
Not deterred by the failed match of Bandol to roasted branzino, the next day, on a whim, we served our two Bandols with a chilled shrimp cocktail. To our astonishment, the sweet chilled shrimp slathered in homemade cocktail sauce heavily fortified by fresh, spicy horseradish, laced by sips of wine, tasted surprisingly well, even revelatory. The wine pleasantly warmed up the palate, lingered for a fleeting moment as its spice and heat could be delightfully felt in the back of the throat, only to seamlessly vanish. Nana particularly enjoyed Noré with this appetizer and said that the pairing brought energy, grounding and balance to the wine..like yoga.
1
Decanted Gros' Noré and Pibarnon, both '12, and fragrant with smell of earth, forest soil, dry herbs and spices. Noré smelled fruitier, as an unripe plum, and appeared "dustier" in a glass. Pibarnon smells were savory, of animal barn, and..vanilla, and appeared clear burgundy/dark ruby.
These wines seemed related and to belong to a specific place of origin and distinct terroir - both powerful and multidimensional, yet significantly different in character. Untamed Noré exploded in the mouth, availed itself right away, and tasted young, fresh and tannic. More contained Pibarnon took time to develop and show its complex qualities: savory, balanced, smooth, silky, yet with a desired tannic afterbite.
Thanks to suggestions of other students and teacher, we had Indian food and its inspired dishes: Tandoori roasted vegetables, Samber, Baingan Bharta (spicy mashed eggplant), salmon curry, and savory-seasoned lentils.
The winning pairings were the veggies as their "smoky", "grilled" flavors intensified by wine, which remained smooth and didn't compete. Intense, yet not piquant, complex flavors of salmon curry worked really well; as well as the lentils. But spicy hot dishes clashed with Bandol bringing out its "screaming" tannic and "ferocious" personality. I also tasted it with leftover roasted branzino and it was awful - fleshy and oily fish tasted unpleasantly "fishy," resulting probably in the worst pairing I've attempted in a long time.
These wines seemed related and to belong to a specific place of origin and distinct terroir - both powerful and multidimensional, yet significantly different in character. Untamed Noré exploded in the mouth, availed itself right away, and tasted young, fresh and tannic. More contained Pibarnon took time to develop and show its complex qualities: savory, balanced, smooth, silky, yet with a desired tannic afterbite.
Thanks to suggestions of other students and teacher, we had Indian food and its inspired dishes: Tandoori roasted vegetables, Samber, Baingan Bharta (spicy mashed eggplant), salmon curry, and savory-seasoned lentils.
The winning pairings were the veggies as their "smoky", "grilled" flavors intensified by wine, which remained smooth and didn't compete. Intense, yet not piquant, complex flavors of salmon curry worked really well; as well as the lentils. But spicy hot dishes clashed with Bandol bringing out its "screaming" tannic and "ferocious" personality. I also tasted it with leftover roasted branzino and it was awful - fleshy and oily fish tasted unpleasantly "fishy," resulting probably in the worst pairing I've attempted in a long time.
I tried a bottle of 2011 Domaine du Gros 'Noré Bandol. It did improve with some aeration. And, yes, straight out of the bottle the tannins were apparent. With this particular bottle, I liked the bouquet of blueberries that hit me when I lowered my nose into the glass. On the palate, the wine was approachable, but still very early in its development. It had dark red fruit, including blueberries, Provencal herbs, minerality and some unresolved tannins. I Iiked the complexity of the wine and the long finish. However, while quite enjoyable, it is a little rustique.
On pour?
Whoa! Only one other wine I can recall demanding instant, full attention on first sip as did the undecanted La Bastide, my maiden Bandol rouge. That other was the Valdespino Inocente, from Fino class. Both were a jolt to my unprepared senses. PnP, without food, the B was roughly comparable to drinking a 2x4 hewn from a cherry tree.
Decant?
Crucial. There was an unpleasant zing to the PnP that an hour, or better, two, of air happily dispelled. For science, left a glug in a glass for 24 hours. It smelled wonderful; was undrinkable.
Aromas?
Wow. A veritable, and lovely cavalcade, including cherry (lots), wood, plus fleeting bacon, green and black pepper, herb, medicinal cherry, tar, camphor and too many others. Fun to sniff and smell the parade go by.
Food?
Tames the beast. Over 3 dinners...
A lean, Provençal beef stew tinyurl.com/h8mtqkt , poorly cooked, was tough on its own, but sure knocked the toughness from the wine, which tasted far better—than the food and than the wine without food. The stew’s herbs and the wine’s aromas were a pleasure. A rich, Anglo-ish Guinness Ale stew was too soft and flabby for this taut wine, as were olivey, slow-cooked lamb shanks tinyurl.com/okpxvqb . Sautéed, chewey-soft trumpet mushrooms were surprisingly wonderful with the decanted, if you took the time to taste carefully (wine too bitter if drunk inattentively). Best morsel was one stray, juicy, fatty piece from the Provençal stew. I’d like to try with a juicy grilled protein.
Whoa! Only one other wine I can recall demanding instant, full attention on first sip as did the undecanted La Bastide, my maiden Bandol rouge. That other was the Valdespino Inocente, from Fino class. Both were a jolt to my unprepared senses. PnP, without food, the B was roughly comparable to drinking a 2x4 hewn from a cherry tree.
Decant?
Crucial. There was an unpleasant zing to the PnP that an hour, or better, two, of air happily dispelled. For science, left a glug in a glass for 24 hours. It smelled wonderful; was undrinkable.
Aromas?
Wow. A veritable, and lovely cavalcade, including cherry (lots), wood, plus fleeting bacon, green and black pepper, herb, medicinal cherry, tar, camphor and too many others. Fun to sniff and smell the parade go by.
Food?
Tames the beast. Over 3 dinners...
A lean, Provençal beef stew tinyurl.com/h8mtqkt , poorly cooked, was tough on its own, but sure knocked the toughness from the wine, which tasted far better—than the food and than the wine without food. The stew’s herbs and the wine’s aromas were a pleasure. A rich, Anglo-ish Guinness Ale stew was too soft and flabby for this taut wine, as were olivey, slow-cooked lamb shanks tinyurl.com/okpxvqb . Sautéed, chewey-soft trumpet mushrooms were surprisingly wonderful with the decanted, if you took the time to taste carefully (wine too bitter if drunk inattentively). Best morsel was one stray, juicy, fatty piece from the Provençal stew. I’d like to try with a juicy grilled protein.
Domaine Tempier is the VERY VERY best. It is expensive and not easily available, but their red are off the charts! More importantly their roses are even better.
So much talk about Dom Ott etc, but NONE compare to Tempier rose!
So much talk about Dom Ott etc, but NONE compare to Tempier rose!
1
We had a Domaine de Terrebrune 2006. Wow! Initially tight with high acid, but opened up into just a fantastic wine after about a 45 minutes and still improving at the 90 minute mark, when we reluctantly recorked it at the end of the meal. It shined with both the game hen that my wife had and the short ribs that I had. The nose was nothing to gush about, but all the other components were there in spades. For $40 at our local wine merchant, it was a winner, hands down.
Good Afternoon: Saturday lunch on the third day of a series of storms that will last until next Friday. Made a beef stew with red wine and pearl onions, not a true Boeuf Bourguignon but close. Recently blundered into the Icelandic Renaissance in music and chose Found Songs and Island Songs by Olafur Arnalds (http://olafurarnalds.com) for the meal. Finding a red Bandol in San Francisco at a reasonable price proved challenging, finally selecting the Chateau de la Noblesse 2013 ($22). Served it at a proper cellar temperature (in the San Francisco language, "room temperature").
Color: very dark garnet, almost black. Nose: well worth spending time on this, blackberry, black cherry, oak, perfume. Taste: quite tannic and acidic at first, but opened up and softened within only a few minutes. Primarily blackberry, black cherry, oak, and perfume at first, but as it opened and developed in the glass could detect anise, cumin, strawberry, tobacco and even subtle hints of apple (a first for me). Decent mouth feel, but nothing exceptional. Short finish. Superb alongside the stew--the wine improved the food and the food improved the wine. Definitely a wine for beef, lamb and game. Will retry tomorrow, because the finish counted as the only negative, and it might improve. However, overall quite a good bottle on a par with much more expensive reds from much more expensive regions. Stay dry, everyone.
Color: very dark garnet, almost black. Nose: well worth spending time on this, blackberry, black cherry, oak, perfume. Taste: quite tannic and acidic at first, but opened up and softened within only a few minutes. Primarily blackberry, black cherry, oak, and perfume at first, but as it opened and developed in the glass could detect anise, cumin, strawberry, tobacco and even subtle hints of apple (a first for me). Decent mouth feel, but nothing exceptional. Short finish. Superb alongside the stew--the wine improved the food and the food improved the wine. Definitely a wine for beef, lamb and game. Will retry tomorrow, because the finish counted as the only negative, and it might improve. However, overall quite a good bottle on a par with much more expensive reds from much more expensive regions. Stay dry, everyone.
1
Tasted 4 Bandol's with a small group of 5, 3 are CSW level, only 1 is familiar with the category (second wine book I read - "Adventures on the Wine Route"). We did not decant, but are going to revisit the wines with brisket sandwiches from Green St. Meats in a couple hours. The Pradeaux was an 08. Came in last for the group, seemed as if the fruit was quite faded, lots of tannin, "like a shriveled prune with dust on it" was one of the novice comments. Favorite of the group was Tempier, 2013 vintage. Nice sweetness of fruit, with structure too, "more complex, with outstanding fruitiness". Gros Nore 12 beautiful,silky, well balanced, but thin in the finish". Bastide Blanche 13 vintage my personal favorite, the groups #2. "Great middle palate, very nice length, dark fruit, black olives, a touch of salinity" All four of these wines sent the group crazy with ideas of foods, which seems to be the great virtue of this style and blend of varietal from the region. Thanks for the inspiration to explore Bandol!!!!!
Big fan of Bandol Rouge, even tho I can rarely afford Domaine Tempier any more. So glad there are a number of more affordable choices.
Thanks for featuring it, Eric. :)
Thanks for featuring it, Eric. :)
1
I don't eat meat and am facing a challenge to come up with seafood and vegetarian dishes to go with "ferocious" and "rugged" Bandol. I've never had a Bandol rouge and don't know what to expect. Any ideas or recommendations for food pairings?
4
Ratatouille would surely go with Bandol Rouge, as well as robustly flavored bean dishes. Since smoky flavors are so complimentary to Bandol Rouge, I'd also suggest trying them with grilled vegetables - especially eggplant.
6
These sound great, I would enjoy any of these dishes, and they seem as hearty enough options to stand up to Bandol rouge. Thank you, chefjune!
Ali, I'm with chefjune. An earthy bean dish would be terrific, as would some sort of grilled eggplant. I'm wondering whether an Indian lentil dish would work?
1
Ah... finally: a Wine School on Bandol! If I had to choose one red wine to drink the rest of my life, it would be a perpetually 10-year-old Gros 'Noré. (I'm also glad to see fellow Kermit Lynch import Domaine Tempier not selected as one on the list: in my humble opinion, it does not deserve its rapidly increasing price.)
The Terrebrune had a cherry and almond aroma and perhaps a slight cherry taste but really not much in the way of flavor. It was very chalky. It had an interesting combination of being light-bodied and at the same time highly tannic with a medium finish.
The Suffrene smelled of burnt wood. It had a more fruity taste but had a somewhat synthetic flavor. There was a sense of more alcohol and it was less tannic than the Terrebrune and didn't seem all that well balanced. We much preferred the Terrebrune.