If you’re looking for breathtaking vineyard landscapes, Bandol is about as dramatic as they come. Here, just east of Marseille, bush-trained vines cling to steep terraces in a south-facing, terraced “amphitheater” that faces the Mediterranean Sea. This is a decidedly hot region, sheltered from any cooling northern winds by a chain of mountains and basking all day long in abundant sunshine. The overwhelming majority of vineyards here are planted to late-ripening red varieties (like Mourvèdre) rooted in iron-rich clay/limestone soils.

Le Galantin began in 1960 when Achille Pascale purchased a property planted to old vines and olive trees. For a decade, he farmed the land and sold the fruit, then he decided to bottle 130 cases of rosé in 1972. He began bottling more and more over the years, and in 1999 he passed the reins to his daughter, Céline. A few years later, his son Jérôme joined the fold. 

The vineyard source for this wine boasts an average vine age of 50 years, providing well-concentrated raw material for this lip-smacking rosé. The blend is 64% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache, and 16% Cinsault, fermented and aged only in stainless steel to preserve freshness.

Now in its “second spring,” the wine shines a bright salmon-pink in the glass with magenta highlights. The aromas are textbook Provence: wild strawberry, red currant, pink grapefruit, hibiscus tea, lilac and lavender, dried herbs, and pink peppercorn. The palate impression is full and deep, but without any of the extra residual sugar or flabbiness that sinks a lot of southern French rosés. Pair with bouillabaisse for the ultimate regional pairing!