Domaine La Bastide Blanche -- Current Release Bandols


One of the top Bandol estates, offering quality across the board. The estate follows organic and biodynamic principles.

2017 Bandol   rosé
This wine is light, pure, and mineral, although it lacks the depth and energy of some of the still better Bandol rosés. 65% Mourvèdre. 88/B+

2017 Bandol  white
The straight Bandol white is light, pure, dense, long, and oily. Very pleasing for current drinking. 89/A

2016 Bandol   Cuvée L’Estagnol  white
The Cuvée L’Estagnol is deliberately made for longer aging — I would expect ten years to be no problem. This wine is dense and concentrated, but light on the palate. It is also more lively and fresher than the previous wine, and shows a bit of minerality. 90/A

2016 Bandol red
The regular Bandol red, from 2016, a great vintage in Bandol, has a truffly nose from the Mourvèdre. The mouth is dense, pure, smooth, and fresh with Mourvèdre earthiness. About 72% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, the rest from Cinsault with a small amount of Syrah and Carignan also present; grapes are all destemmed.  90(+)/B+

2013 Bandol   Cuvée Fontánéou  red
This wine is from a vineyard called Fontánéou that faces the hilltop village of La Cadière d’Azur. The soils here are redder and have more clay than in the previous wine. The result is a wine that is smooth, elegant, pure, and long — one could describe it as Burgundian, although there are still some tannins showing. 92% Mourvèdre, 8% Grenache, all destemmed.  92+/A

2014 Bandol   Cuvée Estagnol  red
The red Estagnol is fresh, intense, pure and deep with sculpted tannins. The wine is  drinkable now, but has a great future ahead of it. 92% Mourvèdre, 8% Grenache, all destemmed. 93+/A