Provence, in France’s Cote d'Azur, is blessed with a glistening coastline that is bathed in almost constant sunshine. This wine region is most famous for its rosé, usually made from Mourvèdre and Grenache varietal. Bandol is an incredibly small area within Provence where the most sought after rosés find nourishment. These are magical wines regardless of their light pink color. Many don’t take rosé wines seriously, but that is an egregious misjudgement as the majority of this opinion have merely been introduced to the 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 coming in 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 the Bandol appellation. The organically farmed estate is located in a village called Ollioules, which is just east of the town of Bandol and only a few miles from the cool breezes of the Mediterranean Sea. The property was purchased by French Sommelier, George Delille, in 1963. After many years of hard work and 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. 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 Domaine also has one of the best restaurants in the area, which is perched high above the winery. So, if you are ever in the south of France, you must seize the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon there. It’s one of the great memories of my wine travels. Make reservations as seating is very limited. The Domaine de Terrebrune vineyards are farmed in an organic fashion with absolutely no chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers. All the grapes are carefully harvested by hand and any imperfect grapes are left in the vineyard. The fruit is destemmed, gently pressed then the skins are immediately removed, which results in a pale, light hue from the red grapes. The wine is fermented with natural yeasts in very cold, large tanks then is transferred to used french oak barrels for 6-8 months before it is bottled unfined and unfiltered.