With its haunting complexities and serious aging potential, Bandol Rouge is a wine to get excited about, but the ultra-traditional reds of Château Pradeaux incite all-out pandemonium. While they aren’t for the faint of heart, there is no doubting Pradeaux is a mandatory reference point for the finest in French red wine.
Perhaps no estate in Bandol, or France for that matter, carries the traditionalist torch so proudly: The deeply mineral, broodingly powerful reds of Pradeaux are a towering monument of consistency and centuries-deep (~275 years!) excellence. As such, they are always accompanied by a shroud of mysticism, delivering untold depths of subtle complexity and staggering levels of increased pleasure as they tack on age. Thankfully, the devout practices of Pradeaux make it so you won’t ever see a youthful wine on the market: Each hand-crafted bottle of Bandol Rouge develops for 48+ months in their cellar before the public can ever hope to lay their eyes on it. As a result, their 2014 has just arrived in America and I have no qualms calling it one of the finest current releases to date. That’s the best part about the freshness and terroir purity that came with the vintage: You can open a bottle today or in the coming decades to discover the inimitable hallmarks of Pradeaux. Either way, you can’t go wrong—not at this low price! Only six bottles per person.
[*NOTE: This wine is only available as a pre-offer and will be arriving at our warehouse on June 17th.]
I can think of few world-class wine appellations that have changed so 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, mercilessly fermented in whole clusters, then aged for years in enormous old oak barrels before release to the American market (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 the majority of red wine produced in Bandol comes in the form of young-drinking, softer style of reds. Many incorporate a large percentage of overripe Grenache, 100% destemming, aging in small new oak barriques, and end with a release date that just 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 some modern Spanish reds. Château Pradeaux, meanwhile, rests at the completely opposite end of this historic and stylistic continuum. The property’s reds are proudly 95-100% Mourvèdre. Pradeaux naturally ferments its grapes in the traditional whole-cluster method and resulting wines are aged in enormous neutral oak foudres and ovals for four (!) years before bottling.
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 (whose family has farmed Château Pradeaux since before the French Revolution) is the current patriarch of the family property and he maintains all traditional processes: Vines younger than 25 years are jettisoned to rosé production, leaving only the old trunks 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.
Seeing as today’s Bandol Rouge consists of 95% Mourvèdre—a thick-skinned Mediterranean grape—one would expect an untamed brute just waiting to be unleashed. But with the stunning grace and freshness that emerged from the 2014 vintage, as well as four years of maturation in old foudres, it comes out in breathtakingly soft layers. Don’t get me wrong, there is still massive structure at play—firm-gripped tannins and dense, meaty concentration—but it wears velvet gloves. Aromas that point toward salt-cured meaty savor, garrigue, tobacco, and a violet- and rose-infused concoction unfurl with high intensity before introducing brambly fruits and concentrated black cherries into the mix. The palate brings unexpected grace that melds with a strong backbone of minerality and ripe, melt-in-your-mouth wildberries that linger for minutes. There’s hardly anything else like it, so for those simultaneously seeking out elite and unique when it comes to wine, this is it. Pradeaux is an amazing look into the mysterious world of Bandol rouge and for the price, it’s the smartest option, too. And, again, let’s remember its uncanny ability to impress now or way down the maturity line: Serve in Bordeaux stems over the next couple years after a 1-2 hour decant, and/or stash your remainders in the deepest, darkest, coolest of your cellar—just watch it defy the test of time. Enjoy.
