Alain Pascal founded Gros 'Nore in 1997, bottling Mourvedre-led Bandol from family vineyards worked for three generations as growers. The reds are dense, tannic and require long cellar ageing (typically 10 to 20 years).
Signature wines: gros-nore-bandol-rouge, gros-nore-bandol-rose, gros-nore-cuvee-antoinette
Tip: The cuvee Antoinette, named after Alain's mother, is the producer's old-vine flagship.
Address: 675 chemin de l'Argile, 83740 La Cadiere-d'Azur, France, Provence
The Dumoutier family have farmed l'Olivette since 1801; today the estate runs 55 hectares of Mourvedre-led red, rose and white across plots on the Le Castellet plateau.
Tasting: Tastings at the estate; contact through the website to arrange
Signature wines: olivette-bandol-rouge, olivette-bandol-rose, olivette-bandol-blanc
Tip: The cuvee Marie Levenes (top-of-range red, oak-aged old-vine Mourvedre) is the cellar wine to seek out.
Owned since 1996 by Guillaume Tari (also owner of Chateau Giscours in the Medoc), La Begude sits at more than 400 metres of altitude on the northern fringe of the Bandol AOC, the appellation's highest estate. Organic-certified vineyards on red clay over limestone.
Tasting: Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm; visits typically by appointment
Signature wines: begude-bandol-rouge, begude-bandol-blanc, begude-bandol-rose
Tip: La Begude bottles a single-vineyard cuvee Irreductible from older Mourvedre vines as the cellar candidate.
Three sister properties (Moulin des Costes, Mas de la Rouviere and Chateau La Rouviere) farmed by the Bunan family since 1961 across more than 60 hectares of organic-certified Bandol vineyard at La Cadiere-d'Azur.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings without appointment; check estate website for current hours
Signature wines: bunan-chateau-la-rouviere, bunan-mas-de-la-rouviere, bunan-moulin-des-costes
Tip: The Chateau La Rouviere cuvee is the family's top old-vine Mourvedre selection.
Bronzo family estate at Sainte Anne du Castellet in the western Bandol AOC, working 30 hectares of organic and biodynamic Mourvedre on red clay and limestone scree. The single-vineyard cuvees Fontaneou and Estagnol come from old-vine parcels.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings by appointment
Signature wines: bastide-blanche-bandol-rouge, bastide-blanche-fontaneou, bastide-blanche-estagnol
Tip: The single-vineyard Fontaneou bottling cellars 15 to 20 years from vintage.
An old Bandol estate at Le Beausset extended to 95 hectares of forest, vineyard and olive groves by current owner Roger Jaar, working in certified organic agriculture across both the Bandol and Cotes de Provence appellations.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings; contact estate for current hours
Signature wines: souviou-bandol-rouge, souviou-cotes-de-provence-rose
Tip: The olive oil is sold alongside the wines and is one of the appellation's references.
The Dumoutier family have farmed l'Olivette since 1801; today the estate runs 55 hectares of Mourvedre-led red, rose and white across plots on the Le Castellet plateau.
Tasting: Tastings at the estate; contact through the website to arrange
Signature wines: olivette-bandol-rouge, olivette-bandol-rose, olivette-bandol-blanc
Tip: The cuvee Marie Levenes (top-of-range red, oak-aged old-vine Mourvedre) is the cellar wine to seek out.
Owned since 1996 by Guillaume Tari (also owner of Chateau Giscours in the Medoc), La Begude sits at more than 400 metres of altitude on the northern fringe of the Bandol AOC, the appellation's highest estate. Organic-certified vineyards on red clay over limestone.
Tasting: Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm; visits typically by appointment
Signature wines: begude-bandol-rouge, begude-bandol-blanc, begude-bandol-rose
Tip: La Begude bottles a single-vineyard cuvee Irreductible from older Mourvedre vines as the cellar candidate.
Three sister properties (Moulin des Costes, Mas de la Rouviere and Chateau La Rouviere) farmed by the Bunan family since 1961 across more than 60 hectares of organic-certified Bandol vineyard at La Cadiere-d'Azur.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings without appointment; check estate website for current hours
Signature wines: bunan-chateau-la-rouviere, bunan-mas-de-la-rouviere, bunan-moulin-des-costes
Tip: The Chateau La Rouviere cuvee is the family's top old-vine Mourvedre selection.
Bronzo family estate at Sainte Anne du Castellet in the western Bandol AOC, working 30 hectares of organic and biodynamic Mourvedre on red clay and limestone scree. The single-vineyard cuvees Fontaneou and Estagnol come from old-vine parcels.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings by appointment
Signature wines: bastide-blanche-bandol-rouge, bastide-blanche-fontaneou, bastide-blanche-estagnol
Tip: The single-vineyard Fontaneou bottling cellars 15 to 20 years from vintage.
An old Bandol estate at Le Beausset extended to 95 hectares of forest, vineyard and olive groves by current owner Roger Jaar, working in certified organic agriculture across both the Bandol and Cotes de Provence appellations.
Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings; contact estate for current hours
Signature wines: souviou-bandol-rouge, souviou-cotes-de-provence-rose
Tip: The olive oil is sold alongside the wines and is one of the appellation's references.
Three sister estates across Provence under one ownership: Chateau de Selle (Cotes de Provence Cru Classe, Taradeau, acquired 1912), Clos Mireille (Cotes de Provence La Londe, acquired 1936) and Chateau Romassan (Bandol, acquired 1956). Maison Louis Roederer acquired a 66 percent stake in 2004; the Ott family retains the balance and remains involved in operations.
Tasting: Visits and tastings at the three estates by appointment
Signature wines: ott-clos-mireille-blanc, ott-chateau-de-selle-rose, ott-chateau-romassan-bandol
Tip: Clos Mireille's white from Semillon and Rolle is one of Provence's reference whites; Chateau Romassan delivers the Bandol from the same group.
