Few wine estates anywhere in the world epitomize the history, culture, and capabilities of their home terroir like Château Pradeaux. For one thing, Pradeaux has been in the same family since the 18th century. For another, the property has remained steadfastly devoted to the traditional wine styles and grape varieties of Provence, which, in the case of Bandol Rouge, means a wine dominated by Mourvèdre and crafted for long-haul aging.
Today’s wine is a limited collector’s-item bottling from a single 45-hectoliter cask of 2007 Bandol Rouge. This one barrel contained a wine of exceptional power and concentration, one which father-son team Cyrille and Etienne Portalis didn’t think would “play well” with other lots destined for their regular Bandol Rouge bottling (a region-defining wine, by the way, vintage after vintage). They decided to let the wine rest in barrel, where it subsequently remained for 10 years. Save for some cases stashed away in the Pradeaux library, nearly all the contents of that magical cask found their way to the US in the form of “X: 10 Ans d’Elevage,” a profoundly deep, mind-blowing expression of Bandol Mourvèdre. Extraordinarily complex aromatics, endless length, and still-considerable power—they’re all there, and we were fortunate to snag a small allocation to share with our subscribers. It will quickly disappear: we can offer up to a case per customer today, and given how much appreciation it promises in both value and utter deliciousness, you can’t afford to stop at one bottle.
Few world-class wine appellations have changed as dramatically in style and technical definition as Bandol. In decades past, Bandol represented the Provençal equivalent of the greatest Barolo or Left Bank Bordeaux—it was the epitome of dark, deeply complex red wine that demanded many patient years in barrel and bottle before revealing its true glory. Bandol was overwhelmingly dominated by the tannic and unforgiving Mourvèdre grape, fermented in whole clusters, then aged for years in enormous old oak barrels before release (where it still demanded additional years in cellar before optimal consumption!). There was no “drink now” Bandol or “modern” Bandol—there was only Bandol, the singularly brooding expression of Provence’s most unforgiving terroir.
Fast-forward to the present day, wherein more Bandol Rouge comes in the form of young-drinking, fruit- and vanilla-scented reds. Many incorporate a large percentage of overripe Grenache, 100% destemming, aging in small new oak barriques, and end with a release date that barely satisfies the AOC’s minimum 1.5-year aging requirement. To put this in context, I wouldn’t fault an experienced taster for confusing many modern Bandols with Côtes du Rhône or Spanish reds. This shift is, of course, a market-driven response and one that has been embraced by many long-established houses, but it has undoubtedly changed the character and style of Bandol Rouge.
Château Pradeaux, meanwhile, is at the opposite end of this stylistic continuum. Their classic Bandol Rouge is proudly 95-100% Mourvèdre, fermented in the traditional ‘whole-cluster’ method and aged in large neutral oak foudres and ovals for four (!) years before—you guessed it—even more bottle aging before release. The result is a powerful red with a complexity and depth of character all its own. Because of this uncompromising approach in the vines and in the cellar—and above all, because of one family’s integrity and undying patience—Château Pradeaux’s reds continue to carry the torch for the classic Bandol of yesteryear. Cyrille Portalis, who is in the process of handing the reins to Etienne, has held fast to all traditional processes: Vines younger than 25 years are jettisoned to rosé production, leaving only 35- to 100+-year-old vines for Pradeaux’s reds. All fruit is harvested by hand, and everything from the grape varieties to the giant old barrels in the family’s cellar remain as they were in the 1960s.
A total of 375 cases of the 2007 “X: 10 Ans d’Élevage” were produced, with each bottle number referenced on the wine’s label. Its decade of cask aging has mellowed it somewhat, but ultimately, this is really just now entering its window of drinkability—it has a decade-plus of graceful aging still ahead of it! In the glass, the crimson-ruby core moves to brick-orange at the rim, signaling its maturity, while the nose is a veritable explosion of dark fruits and wild Mediterranean herbs and scrub-brush. Aromas of black currant, black plum, and cassis charge head-on into a wall of crushed rocks, Provençal herbs, lavender, leather, cigar wrapper, black pepper, and a hint of dried orange peel and flowers. Nearly full-bodied and still framed by freshness and tannin, it has a characteristic Provençal ‘dustiness’ that softens with time in the glass. Decant this brooding beauty (watching for sediment) about 45 minutes before serving in large Bordeaux stems, and prepare yourself for a truly transporting red-wine experience. It is mouth-watering, rich, deeply mineral, and a little wild, with a melding of fruit and minerality found only in the world’s greatest reds. It is one of the more ‘gastronomic’ wines I’ve encountered in a while—a meal unto itself in some ways but ultimately a wine built for food. A stuffed leg of lamb is the kind of deeply flavored, slightly gamey preparation a wine like this demands. Do not be shy, and do not miss this very special wine. Cheers!
