The Wine. The hospitality. The view. All 5 stars.
Did my tasting with Victoria the owner. Her family have been at the work for four generations (think the vineyard was founded in 1935). Lovely lady, very kindly put up with my terrible French, walked me through the wines, showed me the vineyard and shared stories with me. Not snobbery at all, just a friendly passionate person.
All her wines are fantastic.
The Rose is widely reviewed as one of the top 5 in Provence. Could taste that; it's neither as saline heavy as many other Provence rose, nor is it a candy store fruit basket. Stuck in the middle, complex, enjoyable.
The white is from a plot they just bought with a completely different soil composition. It's so light and delicate. You think it would be an insult to say it drinks like water, but it's like flowery, melon-y, peachy water. So good. So refreshing.
The red is also excellent. Drank the '14 and '15. Both are well balanced. '15 is a little more fruit forward, but mellowed by 18 months in oak. '14 is more. Dark, brooding. Bought a bottle to carry home.
To get there:
I Hiked out to Bandol wine country from the train station (Beautiful, but highly recommend catching the bus from the train station or renting a car... it's far). Beautiful Rocky Mountains (the last of the Alps) and vines upon vines make up the view.
You pass a charming high school and beyond that is the Chateau. They have 60 acres of grapes, and the majority are gathered around the house. read more