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Domaine de Terrebrune, Bandol, Rosé

Provence, France 2014 (750mL)
$34.00
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SommSelect

Domaine de Terrebrune, Bandol, Rosé


Provence, in France’s Cote d'Azur, is blessed with a beautiful coastline and almost constant sunshine. This wine region is most famous for its rosé, usually made from Mourvèdre and Grenache. There is one small area within Provence where you will find the most sought after rosés, Bandol. These are incredible wines regardless of their light pink color. Many don’t take rosé wines seriously, but that is an egregious misjudgement and it’s likely that those with this opinion have been introduced to them by wineries who make candy-like wines from hot climates. Of all the rosé in the world, I consider Domaine de Terrebrune to be the most balanced and delicious of all, with Domaine Abbatucci of Corsica, a close second (we’ve offered this wine before on SommSelect).

Domaine de Terrebrune, which gets its name from the dark brown soils of its vineyards, is without a doubt one of the top producers within of the Bandol appellation. The organically farmed estate is located just east of the town of Bandol and just few miles away from the cool breezes of the Mediterranean Sea, in a town named Ollioules. The property was purchased French Sommelier, George Delille, in 1963, and after many years of hard work perfecting the property, he released his first wine in 1980 with the help of his son, Reynald, who now is in charge of operations. When I visited the property in 2012, my friend Luke and I were graciously welcomed by Reynald and treated to one of the best lunches of our lives. The amazing Provençal cuisine was paired with the wines of Terrebrune. The Domaine has one of the best restaurants in the area, which sits above the winery, so if you are ever in the South of France you must go. Its one of the great memories of my wine travels. Make reservations as seating is very limited. We were lucky enough to have Reynauld open up a 1993 rosé when we were deep in the cellar and my mind was blown. It was one of the greatest wine memories of my life. The vineyards are farmed in an organic fashion with absolutely no chemical herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers ever used. All the grapes are carefully harvested by hand and any imperfect grapes are left in the vineyard. Grapes are destemmed and then gently pressed and the skins of the grapes are immediately removed leaving a very light color from the red grapes. The wine is fermented with natural yeasts, at very cold temperatures, in large tanks then transferred to used french oak barrels for 6-8 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. 

The 2014 Domaine Terrebrune rosé is a light salmon pink color. The aromas are driven by notes of pomegranate, peach skin, orange pith, tangerine peel, preserved apricot, watermelon rind, wet rose petals and wet rock. The palate is creamy in texture, incredibly bright, and shows characters of peach pit, melon, lemon and rose petals with a long finish. The wine is so good you want to drink more before you have even swallowed the current sip. This wine can be consumed immediately or aged for decades. These wines are some of the only rosés on the planet which can be consumed with age, they become as good as old white Burgundy when 20 years old if kept properly in a cold cellar. I had a 1991 at the Domaine which changed all perception about the aging of Bandol rosé, so be patient. The wine reminded me of old Grand Cru Montrachet, honestly, you will not be disappointed if you let this wine rest a decade. Consume this wine out of any glass you choose, at about 50-55 degrees with great friends. The food is an afterthought as it pairs with almost anything you throw in its direction.
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Country
France
Region
Provence
Sub-Region
FranceBandol
Soil
Brown Clay, Blue limestone Bedrock and Marl
Farming
Organic
Blend
50% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 25% Cinsault
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
Neutral French Barrels

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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