Vineyards in Bandol

Domaine Tempier ★ 4.9

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah39 haFounded 1834Peyraud familyBandol

Reference Bandol estate at Le Plan du Castellet, run by the Peyraud family since 1834, with the single-vineyard reds La Tourtine, La Migoua and Cabassaou setting the bar for age-worthy Mourvedre-led Bandol.

Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings without appointment Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm

Signature wines: tempier-bandol-rouge, tempier-la-tourtine, tempier-la-migoua, tempier-cabassaou

Tip: The estate's classic Bandol rouge is the gateway, but the single-vineyard Cabassaou (pure old-vine Mourvedre) is the cellar candidate.

Chateau de Pibarnon ★ 4.8

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Cinsault, Grenache, Clairette, Bourboulenc55 haFounded 1977Saint Victor familyBandol

Established in 1977 by Henri de Saint Victor on south-facing terraces above 300 metres at La Cadiere-d'Azur, Pibarnon sits at 300 metres above sea level, an upper-slope Bandol estate with Mourvedre at the heart of its long-ageing reds.

Tasting: Cellar tour and tasting Monday to Saturday by appointment

Signature wines: pibarnon-bandol-rouge, pibarnon-bandol-blanc, pibarnon-bandol-rose

Tip: The Bandol Blanc, built on rare old-vine Clairette and Bourboulenc, is one of the best whites in the appellation and tightly allocated.

Chateau Pradeaux ★ 4.7

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault26 haFounded 1752Portalis familyBandol

The Portalis family have farmed Pradeaux on the Bandol coast at Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer since 1752, working a Mourvedre-dominant red programme (around 95 percent of the encepagement) with traditional long-foudre ageing.

Tasting: Tastings by reservation Monday to Friday, 9am to 12:30pm and 3pm to 6pm; tastings 15 EUR per person

Signature wines: pradeaux-bandol-rouge, pradeaux-le-lys, pradeaux-bandol-rose

Tip: The estate's basic Bandol rouge is bottled with very long oak ageing and needs five to ten years before it really shows.

Domaine de Terrebrune ★ 4.7

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Bourboulenc30 haFounded 1963Delille familyWinemaker Reynald DelilleBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDBandol

Reynald Delille farms 30 hectares of certified organic Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsault on dolomitic limestone at Ollioules, a few kilometres back from the Bandol coast, producing precision Bandol reds and a notable Bandol Blanc on dolomitic limestone.

Tasting: Tastings Monday to Saturday, 9:30am to 12:30pm and 2:30pm to 6pm; on-site restaurant

Signature wines: terrebrune-bandol-rouge, terrebrune-bandol-blanc, terrebrune-bandol-rose

Tip: Visit the on-site restaurant for the producer-led pairing menu featuring the estate cuvees.

Domaine de la Tour du Bon ★ 4.6

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Ugni Blanc15 haFounded 1968Hocquard familyWinemaker Agnes Henry-HocquardORGANIC CERTIFIEDBandol

Family estate on the north-western fringe of the Bandol AOC near the village of Le Castellet, organic-certified since 2014, run by Agnes Henry-Hocquard. The Saint Ferreol cuvee, pure Mourvedre, is the flagship.

Tasting: Open Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm; Saturdays and Sundays by appointment

Signature wines: tour-du-bon-bandol-rouge, tour-du-bon-saint-ferreol, tour-du-bon-bandol-blanc

Tip: Saint Ferreol is the cellar candidate; the white from Clairette and Ugni Blanc is a textbook coastal Bandol Blanc.

Chateau Sainte Anne ★ 4.6

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Ugni Blanc15 haFounded 1965Dutheil de la Rochere familyWinemaker Jean-Baptiste DutheilBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDBandol

Long-established Bandol estate in the eastern part of the appellation at Sainte Anne d'Evenos, working its terraced limestone-and-clay slopes organically and biodynamically since the 1960s under three generations of the Dutheil de la Rochere family.

Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings by appointment

Signature wines: sainte-anne-bandol-rouge, sainte-anne-bandol-collection, sainte-anne-bandol-rose

Tip: The Collection cuvee, a barrel selection of the best old-vine Mourvedre, is a low-intervention reference.

Domaine du Gros 'Nore ★ 4.5

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan19 haFounded 1997Alain PascalWinemaker Alain PascalBandol

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).

Tasting: Cellar visits and tastings by appointment

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.

Domaine de l'Olivette ★ 4.4

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Ugni Blanc55 haFounded 1801Dumoutier familyBandol

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.

Domaine de la Begude ★ 4.5

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette40 haFounded 1996Tari familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDBandol

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.

Domaines Bunan ★ 4.5

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Sauvignon Blanc60 haFounded 1961Bunan familyORGANIC CERTIFIEDBandol

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.

Domaine de la Bastide Blanche ★ 4.7

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, Ugni Blanc30 haFounded 1972Bronzo familyWinemaker Michel, Julien and Nicolas BronzoBiodynamic PracticingORGANIC CERTIFIEDBandol

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.

Domaine Souviou ★ 4.3

Bandol AOC, Cotes de Provence AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Rolle95 haFounded 1791Roger JaarORGANIC CERTIFIEDBandol

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.

Hidden Gems in Bandol

Chateau de Pibarnon ★ 4.7

Bandol AOCMourvedre, Grenache, Cinsault, Clairette, BourboulencFounded 1977Saint Victor familyBandol

An upper-slope Bandol estate at 300 m altitude on La Cadiere d'Azur. Saint Victor family-owned since 1977, making a Mourvedre-led red with a strong appellation reputation.

Tip: Pibarnon's terraces reach 300 metres altitude in Bandol; arrive in the morning when the cellars are coolest and the view over the Bay of La Ciotat is sharpest.

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