With history as a winegrowing region dating back to 600 BC, the Romans cultivated the terraces of this treasured pocket of Provence and developed the Bandol Bay for export by 125 BC. The prestige of these red wines was celebrated through the Middle Ages and beyond the eighteenth century. The French revolution and the phylloxera epidemic ravaged the once famous area, and the treasured Mouvèdre grapes were almost lost until a group of winemakers, headed by the Peyrauds of Domaine Tempier, stepped in to return the area to its former glory and obtain an AOC status from the French government. Today, Bandol is lauded for its world-class rosé wines, but the Bandol Rouge is a lesser-known gem of the appellation that should not be missed. With a required 50% minimum of Mouvèdre, Bandol Rouge are true vins de garde; although approachable in youth due to the almost constant sunshine, these wines are crafted to cellar for decades.

Guilhem Tournier was reared in the vines and began his journey to become a world-class vigneron at the tender age of nine on his family’s estate Domaine La Roche Restores. By the age of 27, he felt the inevitable pull to create something of his own, and Château Guilhem Tournier was born from four hectares of vines inherited from his grandfather. Nestled in La Cadiere d’Azur village of Bandol in limestone, clay and sand soils sprawled over south, southwest-facing slopes, the small, organically farmed estate is horsed-tilled and worked entirely by hand. Here he crafts a remarkable Bandol Rouge that follows the Provence adage that le mourvèdre doit voir la mer, which means the mourvèdre must have a view over the sea. Château Guilhem Tournier’s Malissonne is crafted with 95% Mouvèdre and 5% Grenache grapes that are hand-harvested. The fruit is de-stemmed then goes through a three-day maceration and is fermented over two weeks with only native yeast. The wine is aged for eighteen months in Francois Freres French Oak. The result is a terroir-driven Bandol Rouge on par with the likes of famed Domaine Tempier that delights Bordeaux, Southern Rhône and Burgundy lovers alike at a fraction of the price.