french wine a day:

Mourvèdre vines overlooking the Mediterranean in Bandol

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Dear wine lovers,

Besides its incredible landscapes, with both beautiful slopes and the Mediterranean sea always enchanting eyes, the Bandol* area is where the most outstanding red wines are produced in Provence.

Mourvèdre, the famous "**king grape variety**" of Bandol, thrives perfectly there and like any uneasy grape, it furnishes superb results only when it reaches maturity.

Young, blackcurrant flavours explode and evolve into spices, leather aromas tickle the nose as well as band-aid, a term my wife Kristin once used, to explain the aromas she was experiencing .

If you find Château de Pibarnon, Domaine Tempier, Domaines Bunan, Château Vannières or Château de Castillon where you can see me taste this beautiful 2001, try them when they are 5 to 6 years old with turkey or when they are young with dark fruit tarts.

And don't hesitate to leave a few bottles in your cellar for ageing. They will get even better. As we say in France, there is the rule of the "3 B" : Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello in Italy and Bordeaux, Burgundy...Bandol, in France.

Cheers,

Jean-Marc Espinasse

Any comments, edits are very welcome at [email protected]