From Aix-en-Provence: Half-day Sidecar Wine Tour
Leave Aix-en-Provence aboard a vintage sidecar and discover the legendary Sainte-Victoire mountain, Cézanne’s muse, along with charming villages and local wine tastings.
Structure
Drinking window
Best 10 to 40 years from vintage.
vintage10 yrs40 yrs42 yrs
Critic scores
No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating in the header is our own.
In the glass
Aroma: wild blackberry, tar, myrtle, leather
Palate: damson, iron, incense, tobacco
The most uncompromising Bandol: near-pure Mourvedre, three to four years in old foudre, no fining or filtration. Tar, iron and dried herb over a tannin frame that demands fifteen years minimum.
What it pairs with
-
Roast wild boar haunch
Pradeaux's iron and tar grip handles game's deep meat; the wine's incense edge reads as a true Provencal autumn. -
Lamb shanks braised in red wine
Long-cooked lamb meets the wine's foudre-aged tannin frame; the dish's red-wine reduction echoes Pradeaux's depth. -
Aged Mimolette
The hard caramelised cow's-milk cheese's salt and dark-fruit aged tones align with Pradeaux's leather and tobacco. -
Pieds et paquets marseillais
Provencal tripe-and-trotter classic finds the savoury depth and structure to handle long braising.
History
Pradeaux has produced its uncompromising Mourvedre-led Bandol under the Portalis family since 1752. The estate kept the long foudre-aging tradition through the 20th century when most producers shortened it. The cuvee has been bottled in essentially the same style for over a century.
- 1752: Portalis family acquires the estate
- 1941: AOC Bandol founded with Pradeaux as a founding member
- 1982: Cyrille Portalis takes over and confirms the long foudre-aging tradition
Facts
- Producer
- Chateau Pradeaux · visiting guide
- Grapes
- Mourvedre (95%), Grenache
- Classification
- AOC Bandol
- Oak
- 36 to 42 months in large old oak foudres, no new oak, no fining or filtration
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- EUR 55 to 90 at retail
- Drinking window
- 10-40 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1923
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rouge
What does Pradeaux Rouge taste like?
Wild blackberry, tar, myrtle and leather on the nose; damson, iron, incense and tobacco on the palate. Full-bodied with high tannins, high acidity and a long savoury finish.
When should I drink Pradeaux Rouge?
Drink between 10 and 40 years from vintage. Pradeaux is the most uncompromising Bandol; the long foudre aging means it needs 15 years minimum to fully unfurl. Decant 2 hours for vintages under 20 years old.
Is Pradeaux Rouge vegan?
Yes. Pradeaux's no-fining and no-filtration approach means no animal-derived agents touch the wine, though the estate does not pursue formal vegan certification.
What food pairs with Pradeaux Rouge?
Roast wild boar haunch is the canonical pairing; Pradeaux's iron and tar handle game's deep meat. Braised lamb shanks, aged Mimolette and pieds et paquets marseillais are equally strong matches.
How long is Pradeaux Rouge aged?
Three to three and a half years in large old oak foudres, with no fining and no filtration. The unusually long aging is part of what gives the cuvee its 40-year cellaring potential.
Tags
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