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Domaine de Terrebrune, Bandol, Rosé

Provence, France 2014 (750mL)
$34.00
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Domaine de Terrebrune, Bandol, Rosé

If I was forced to choose a single bottle of rosé for eternity, it would be Domaine de Terrebrune from the Bandol appellation of Provence.
This wine offers an otherworldly experience that transcends rosé, delivering freshness, concentration, fruit and minerality beyond what any other rosé on the world market has to offer. In addition to the unparalleled sensory experience, this wine also ages beautifully, which is quite rare for a rosé. The 1991 vintage I was served at the Domaine was one of the top ten wines I’ve ever had.
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 the Mourvèdre and Grenache varietals. Bandol is an incredibly small area within Provence where the most sought after rosés find nourishment. 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 recently on SommSelect).

The organically farmed Terrebrune Estate is located in the village of Ollioules, just east of the town of Bandol, and 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 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, a fellow sommelier 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 Reynald open up several old bottles 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.

The Domaine de Terrebrune vineyards are farmed organically 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.

The 2015 Domaine Terrebrune rosé is a light salmon pink color. The aromas are driven by notes of pomegranate, peach skin, orange pith, tangerine peel, preserved apricot, watermelon rind, wet rose petals and wet rock. The palate is creamy in texture, incredibly bright and shows characters of peach pit, melon, lemon and rose petals with a long finish. This wine can be consumed immediately or aged for decades. They are some of the only rosés on the planet which can be consumed with age, and become as good as old white Burgundy in twenty years if kept properly in a cold cellar. Consume this wine out of any glass you choose, at about 50-55 degrees, with great friends. The food is an afterthought as it pairs with almost anything you throw in its direction. Grilled fish and vegetables is a simple yet perfect pairing.

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Country
France
Region
Provence
Sub-Region
FranceBandol
Soil
Brown Clay, Blue Limestone, Bedrock and Marl
Farming
Organic
Blend
50% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 25% Cinsault
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
Neutral French Barrels

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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