Begude Bandol Rose L'Irreductible is made from 95% Mourvèdre, 5% Grenache
Eye: Deep Youthful Coral color.
Nose: Intense Fruity notes of Strawberry, Cherry blossom and watermelon.
Mouth: Superb mouthfeel, with an excellent acidity and structure, that gives the wine a long and balanced finish with some spicy aromas.
Opening: ½ hour before serving if possible.
It traditionally pairs well with fish, seafood, white meat and provencal dishes, such as Bouillabaisse (fish soup). It is also excellent with cheese and "international cuisine", spicy Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese cuisine.
Also try it with lobster ... pleasure guaranteed.
"Light, vivid orange-pink. Intense red berry, pit fruit, nectarine, blood orange and floral scents on the highly perfumed, mineral-accented nose. Juicy and penetrating on the palate, offering concentrated nectarine, strawberry, orange pith and candied lavender flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Shows superb clarity and mineral lift on the impressively long, chewy finish, which strongly repeats the pit fruit and floral notes. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (June 2021), 94 pts
- Wine Enthusiast (September 2021), 93 pts
Begude Bandol Rouge La Brulade is made from 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache.
"La Brulade" is the name of a select slope located at an altitude of 400 meters overlooking the Mediterranean sea between La Baie d'Amour (the town of La Ciotat) in the South and La Sainte Baume in the North. This is one of the highest parcels in the Bandol appellation.
The wine is only produced in exceptional vintages. This carefully selected blend is made of 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache, aged in large French oak barrels for 24 months.
The wine shows a deep purple color. It is fresh and fruity on the nose with intense garrigue aromas. Structured, elegant and well-balanced on the palate with strong tannins. Licorice, ripe black fruits, garrigue flavors and some peppery freshness on the finish.
The 35-year old grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils and are farmed organically. Yield is very low - 15hl/ha. The grapes are harvested manually.
Winemaking: Double selection, destemming, crushing before skin contact fermentation. No filtration. Aging for 24 months in French oak casks (600L).
Grilled meat (lamb, beef, boar), Mediterranean cuisine, spicy dishes.
Review:
"Complex nose with deep black berry fruits, spice and hints of polish. Really lovely texture with layers of creamy red and black fruits, spices and powerful but super fine tannins. Great expression of the appellation; powerfully long."
- Decanter World Wine Award 2020 - 97 pts & Platinum Medal
Begude Bandol Rouge is made from 90% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache.
Eye: dark ruby colored
Nose: Intense, aromatic, fresh and elegant
Mouth: Structured on black fruits flavors, lightly woody , tanins are strong an firm in their early days (<5years) Good acidity give freshness backbone and great fruit/alcoholic balance . Delicate final on spices.
Opening: Decant 4-6 hours before serving
Soil: Clay-limestone Culture: Organic without pesticides nor chemicals additives Yield: 20 hectoliters/hectare Harvest: Manual in small cases Winemaking: Double sorting, 100% destemming, skin contact, with daily sticking in order to optimize color and aromatic extraction Alcoholic fermentation 15 days followed by malo lactic fermentation. Aging: 18 months in oak cask Bottling:
Grilled lamb, meat cooked with sauce, southern French cuisine and tasty dishes (tajines, couscous, paellas).
Review:
"Inviting spicy oak, malt and blackberry cream scents. Powerfully structured tannins, spicy liquorice and clove flavours as well as bramble fruit; very long finish. Its best years are far into the future. Terrific stuff."
- Decanter World Wine Awards 2020, 97 pts & Platinum Medal
Begude Cadet de la Begude Rouge is made from 35% Mourvedre, 35% Grenache and 30% Cinsault.
A selection of young vines, with no oak aging. Full fruit with a fresh and provencal character.
The noble terroir of Provence and the signature of the Tari Family raised at Chateau Giscours in Margaux and at the Domaine de la Begude in Bandol - the 7th generation of vignerons - gave birth to this valiant Cadet.
A selection with a fragrance of freedom, respectful of the environment, carried by the Mistral wind and the light of the Mediterranean Sea.
Average age of the vines: 10 years
Planted on clay and limestone soils.
Double sorting, total destemming, grapes pressuring and maceration in vats.
Aged 2 months on the lees.
Gentle filtration before bottling.
Grilled lamb, meat cooked with sauce, southern French cuisine and tasty dishes (tajines, couscous, paellas).
Review:
- Wine Enthusiast (September 2021), 90 pts
Mordoree Tavel Rose Plume de Peintre is made from 50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Clairette and 15% Cinsault.
Deep rosé color. Complex and intense aromas of red fruits. The palate is elegant and offers a great balanced acidity. The wine has a long lasting finish.
Risotto with crayfish and asparagus, duck breast roasted with honey, poultry with morels.
Roche Redonne Bandol Rouge Les Bartavelles is made from 95% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache.
This cuvée is named "Bartavelles" which is French for the "Rock Partridge".
The wine is quite aromatic, with boysenberry, blackcurrant, peppery and graphite notes. Ample in the mouth with a creamy structure, soft, harmonious and elegant tannins. The finish is long and juicy.
Excellent with grilled red meat or game. Also excellent with cheese
Begude Bandol Rose L'Irreductible is made from 95% Mourvèdre, 5% Grenache
Eye: Deep Youthful Coral color.
Nose: Intense Fruity notes of Strawberry, Cherry blossom and watermelon.
Mouth: Superb mouthfeel, with an excellent acidity and structure, that gives the wine a long and balanced finish with some spicy aromas.
Opening: ½ hour before serving if possible.
It traditionally pairs well with fish, seafood, white meat and provencal dishes, such as Bouillabaisse (fish soup). It is also excellent with cheese and "international cuisine", spicy Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese cuisine.
Also try it with lobster ... pleasure guaranteed.
Domaine de La Begude was founded in 1996 by Guillaume and Louis Tari who continue an old family wine tradition (Chateau Giscours, 3rd Cru, Margaux). They are devoted to elaborating wines that express the characteristics of the Bandol terroir. The ageing cellars are the ancient Merovingian chapel of the 7th century from the "Conil" seigneury. This village has since disappeared, but it is mentioned as early as 966 in Saint Victor's maps. The estate produced some wine in the 16th century, and some ancient vinification tanks have been discovered there.
The Domaine de la Bégude Vineyard
The vineyard is situated at the top of the Bandol appellation (400 meters), overlooking the Mediterranean sea. The estate measures 1,240 acres of which 37 acres are in vines (15 hectares). The vines are cultivated on terraces facing south. The terraces are divided because of the very uneven relief of the wooded massif on which lies the estate. Olive trees surround most of the vine plots and take part in perfecting a typical landscape of the Bandol area.
The grape percentages are: 65% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache,10% Cinsault, and the vines average 20 years of age. Grapes are hand harvested and totally de-stemmed before 3 – 4 weeks of fermentation on the skins. Egg white fining finishes the winemaking process before bottling. Production in total is 2,500 – 3,000 cases annually. This property makes clean and focused Bandol, as opposed to the rustic style so commonly seen from this A.O.C.
The Tari family also produces a Cotes de Provence (Rose and Red) made from grapes grown in the heart of the Provencal oak forest, dominating the Maures Mountains.
Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
The Kasteelberg range of wines celebrates the discovery of the Riebeek Valley and the Kasteelberg mountains in 1661. Kasteelberg stands sentinel over the fertile valley below. From the slopes of the mountains, hand-selected grapes are expertly crafted with care to produce rare and expressive wines.
Limited release, single-vineyard Chenin Blanc from hand-selected grapes from the foothills of the majestic Kasteelberg Mountain, Kasteelberg Chenin Blanc embodies excellent craftsmanship that transforms the harsh Swartland terroir into the pinnacle of our winemakers’ art.
Together with the age-old tradition of Dry Land viticulture, it resulted in an elegant, aromatic and richly textured wine, with characteristics typical to Chenin Blanc grown under these conditions. Citrus, lemon zest, ripe apple and tropical flavors are only some of the flavors that charm the nose. The palate follows through with flavors of melon, a touch of spice and well-integrated wood for exceptional balance and a luxurious, lingering finish.
Once harvested, the grapes are hand-sorted, de-stemmed & crushed into temperature-controlled gravitational drainers. Only the free-run juice is chilled and settled overnight. The juice is then racked off into new, 300 L, oak barrels (50% French oak, 50% Hungarian oak) and wild yeast fermented in the barrels. Fermentation is temperature controlled and lasted around 22 days. The wine is then matured in the oak barrel on the gross lees for 12 months before being racked off, filtered and bottled. After bottling the wine is further bottle-matured for at least 6 months before release.
Review:
"This old-vine Chenin is made with fruit from a 1982 vineyard on the lower slopes of the Kasteelberg. Rich, leesy and slightly dominated by its 50% new wood, but this has the concentration and focus to age well in bottle. Honeyed, spicy intensity is complemented by racy, chiselled acidity. 2021-25"
- Tim Atkin (South Africa 2020 Report), 91 pts
Tres Ojos Rosado Calatayud is fresh, crisp and juicy Rose made of 50% Garnacha and 50% Tempranillo displaying beautiful strawberry and raspberry fruits. Enjoy with salads, chicken or simply with a glass. Serve chilled.
Review:
"Coming from the Calatayud region of Spain and 70% Garnacha and 30% Tempranillo, the 2019 Rosado Rose boasts a medium ruby hue as well as a big bouquet of ripe cherry, watermelon, framboise fruits, and a touch of spice. Playing in the medium-bodied end of the spectrum, with plenty of richness yet also good acidity, it’s going to be incredibly versatile with food and drink beautifully over the coming summer months." - Jeb Dunnuck (March 2020), 90 pts
Johann Michel Cuvee Grain Noir is made from 100 percent Syrah
This is delicious. Expressive, deep, rich, silky and juicy.
Well structured and round, it displays red fruit, leather, black cherry, liquorice and black berry aromas.
This Cornas is a blend from 2 different vineyard sites:
- 60% of the final blend is coming from vineyards located on the hillside (16 year old vines on the "coteau") which is planted on sandy soils, decomposed granite and some roicks, giving the strucutre, the spiciness and the licorice type of flavors to the blend.
- the other 40% of the final blend is coming from the bottom of the slope (40 years old vines on the "pied de coteau") which is planted on sandy soils, bringing acidity and balance to the wine.
Manual harvest, selection of the grapes, 100% destemming, fermentation in tanks for 3 weeks, daily remontage and pigeage.
Malolactic fermentation in oak barrels and aging on the lees for 12-18 months in barrels (2 to 4 year old barrels)
J Lohr Signature Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon 6% Cabernet Franc 6% Saint Macaire 4% Petit Verdot 4% Malbec.
J. Lohr Signature Cabernet Sauvignon was first produced to honor the 80th birthday of founder Jerry Lohr. This limited release was specially selected and blended from the exceptional 2016 vintage in Paso Robles. It is both a tribute to Jerry's pioneering efforts in the region and our red wine portfolio's ultimate expression of Cabernet Sauvignon. VINEYARDS & CELLAR Beck Vineyard, in the Creston District of Paso Robles, is a unique, high elevation site that sits at 1,700 feet above the early morning fog line. Its calcareous soils and cooling afternoon winds are perfect for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet from this vineyard ripens early with excellent color, purity of fruit, and phenolic maturity. Incorporation of Cabernet Franc brings freshness to the blend, while the rare Bordeaux variety, Saint Macaire, brings density and a savory character. Petit Verdot and Malbec add structure, color, and a component of bright fruit. The hand-harvested grapes were held separate at harvest and berry-sorted into six-ton open top tanks for fermentation. Maceration took place on the skins for five days, before early pressing to achieve ideal tannin extraction. Aged 19 months in 100% new French oak from coopers Nadalie and Sylvain.
Review:
The nose on this luxury-level bottling is pure and refreshing, offering aromas of black cherry, loamy soil, dried mint and caramel-laced coffee. The palate is framed by upright tannins, yet is soft enough to enjoy now, showing deep flavors of black currant, dried herb, milk chocolate and toffee. Drink 2020–2040.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points
Waterstone Merlot Napa Valley is 100 percent Merlot
Sweet cherry, ripe plum, hints of vanilla and overtones of anise and aged leather appear in the aroma. On the palate, this generous wine features cherry, plum and blackberry fruit with supple tannins and a lingering finish.