The Ides of March are upon us, and so spring is also at our doorstep, which means it’s a perfect time to start thinking about outdoor gatherings with friends and family. And if you’re gonna serve rosé (which you should), then why not go for the gusto and serve the very best? Over the past couple of decades, as sales of rosé have skyrocketed, it has become abundantly clear that the benchmark for the most refreshing, elegant, and sneakily complex wines in this category hail from one small commune in Provence: Bandol. And for our money you can’t get a more pitch-perfect encapsulation of this paradise of pink than Château Vannières. With an exhilarating rush of wild strawberries, fresh citrus and hints of salty sea breeze wafting up from the glass you are immediately transported to the Mediterranean seaside. As the weather warms don’t settle for pedestrian pink wine, grab a case of rosé royalty from Vannières instead and your al fresco dining will be fit for a king!

With a mountainous backdrop forming a natural amphitheater, quaint hilltop villages, and the glistening sea always on the horizon, Provence is among Europe’s most breathtaking regions. It’s also the perfect place to grow Mourvèdre, a grape that can produce exceptionally long lived red wines or, to the delight of all who have the fortune to visit this vacation paradise, beautifully refreshing rosé. What came first, the throngs of tourists or the world’s best rosé? Though the popularity of Provençal pink in general, and Bandol specifically, has skyrocketed in the 21st century, there’s no doubt that the local fishermen have been quenching their thirst during the hot Mediterranean summers with rosé for centuries. It’s a perfect match of wine and place, but you don’t have to book a flight to Nice to live the Bandol rosé all day dream, we’re bringing it right to your doorstep.

Château Vannières, which was first built in 1547, was purchased by Gaston Boisseaux in 1957 and today his son Eric, and grandson Charles-Eric, are at the helm. The Boisseaux clan are actually Burgundians, and they bring a sense of devotion to terroir transparency to the beautifully rugged landscape of Bandol. Indeed the soils here are very similar to the famous vineyards of Burgundy, with a high percentage of limestone mixed with clay marls. Of course the differences are many: It’s hotter and sunnier here, the Mediterranean is just a few miles away, and the powerful mistral winds often arrive just before harvest. This is why Mourvèdre, a grape born somewhere on the hot, arid plateaus of Spain, has made Provence its preferred home. 

The Boisseaux clan has grown to love Mourvèdre over the decades, though they also grow a decent amount of Grenache and Cinsault, as well as small amounts of white varieties. Their iconic rosé is all about precision and freshness, but without losing a sense of the wild, savory aspect that Mourvèdre brings to the table. All the fruit is hand harvested and sorted before it goes into temperature controlled steel tanks for fermentation and aging on the fine lees. The wine is then bottled with a light filtration in early spring. Like all the best Bandol rosé, Vannières begins to really coalesce around 6 months after release (so, ironically, just as summer is winding down) and in truth is at its tantalizing best at age 1-2 . . . which is precisely where the fabulous 2022 sits today.

Serve it chilled of course, but not ice cold, in an all-purpose stem and the vibrant, sunset pink hue with just a tiny hint of tangerine at the rim will act as the perfect aesthetic backdrop for all your spring gatherings. But this isn’t just a “pretty face,” the wine in the bottle is also downright delicious. Balanced, nuanced, refreshing but with surprising complexity, it is bursting with notes of wild strawberries, watermelon rind, blood orange, white peach, rosemary, star jasmine, and a touch of fleur de sel. Serve with all the wonderful spring dishes, including Passover and Easter spreads, but of course a classic Provençal dish like bouillabaisse or the shrimp recipe below are ideal companions. As mentioned, this Bandol beauty is only getting better, so stock up for the spring, summer, and beyond!