Recently, we had a chance to revisit this decade-old, limited-edition bottling from Château Pradeaux—and we haven’t stopped talking about it since. It’s been weeks now, but everything about it is still vivid in my mind: its profound depth and length; its slightly wild mix of saturated black fruit and herb-infused savor; its powerful structure.
It was created as a special bottling for Rosenthal Wine Merchants, Pradeaux’s longtime US importer, from a single 45-hectoliter cask of Bandol Rouge from the 2007 vintage. Father-son team Cyrille and Etienne Portalis didn’t think it would “play well” with other lots from the vintage, so they let it rest in barrel, where it subsequently remained for 10 years. Upon tasting it—and, like us, being blown away by it—the Rosenthal crew excitedly arranged to bottle and import the whole production. 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 collector’s-item bottling and a profoundly deep, endlessly aromatic expression of Bandol Mourvèdre. Having gotten hold of a few more bottles to share today, I can’t stress enough how beautifully this wine is showing right now. It’s easily one of the most distinctive and memorable reds I’ve had all year, and it has at least another decade of evolution still ahead of it!
Few wine estates anywhere in the world epitomize the history, culture, and capabilities of their home terroir like Château Pradeaux. For one thing, it has been in the same family since the 18th century. For another, it has remained steadfastly devoted to the traditional wine styles and grape varieties of Provence, which, in the case of their Bandol Rouge, means a wine dominated by the Mourvèdre grape and structured for long-haul aging. In years 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 years in barrel and bottle before revealing its true glory.
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 4,500 bottles 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 just now entering its window of drinkability—it has a lot left in the tank, believe me. 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 still 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 around—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 this wine demands. Do not be shy. Cheers!
