Fun Facts Adventure
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Bandol
Bandol Provence France Fun Facts Information And Wines
Best Red Grape: Mourvedre
Mourvedre is a bit of an animal! This powerful red grape has escaped the dry and dusty Spanish homeland to find new pastures in France and it is the small village of Bandol that really captures the essence of the grape and is special enough to have achieved the top ranking AC status.
Bandol is a stones throw from the Mediterranean coast and is the ambassador for premium red wines from Provence.
The local growers are passionate about their vines and they have the motto ‘one vine one bottle’. Mechanical harvesting is banned and the wines are required to spend at least 18 months in oak.
A bottle of Bandol is a big beast with fierce tannins that need taming, so Mourvedre is often blended with the soft and strawberry scented Grenache (or Cinsault – the red grape that makes rosé). The wine is perfect with a juicy steak, so grab the bull by the horns and try some!
A few bottles of white wine is also made from native grape varieties, plus a splash of Sauvignon Blanc but most is enjoyed with the local fresh fish.
Classic Wine Flavours: Farmyard, Blackberries, Wild Herbs, Leather.
Plus Point: The wine may be enjoyed young but also has the ability to mature for a decade.
Mixed Up: Grenache and Syrah (Shiraz) are perfect partners. Mourvedre is the .M. in the classic G.S.M. blend.
Best: Bandol. G.S.M. is best from the southern Rhone and South Africa.
About Mourvedre: Known as Monastrell in Spain and Mataro in Australia and California. Origins are likely to be Spanish, as Murviedro is a town near Valencia and Mataro is near Barcelona. The grape refuses to ripen north of the Rhone and prefers a warm and sunny spot but cool soil. It requires expert handling to prevent a big crop of mediocre grapes. It adds substance and savoury fruit to a blend and is therefore regarded as an ‘improving variety’.
