Domaine la Suffrene Bandol Rosé Download PDF

Specifications

Winery	Domaine la Suffrene
Varieties	40% Mourvèdre / 30% Cinsault / 20% Grenache / 10% Carignan
Farming Practices	over ten years of practicing organic / organic certification underway for 2021
Soils	argilo-calcaire / parcels include limestone and magnesium rich silty soils and clayey soils
Trellis system	goblet
Hectares/Acres	28 ha yielding less than 40HL per hectare
Altitude	90 - 260m
Exposure	multiple
Harvest Technique	hand harvested and sorted
Year Vines Were Planted	1940 - 1975
Yeast	ambient

Fermentation	juice is separated for each pressing cycle / fermentation to less than 2g/L RS over two weeks / lots are blended in January
Malolactic	no
Maturation	6 months in tank / released in June
Sulfur	total 98mg/L
Filter	yes
Fining	bentonite
Alcohol	13.5%
Item No	FR441
Size	750ml, 375ml, 1.5L
Bottle Case	12
Country	France
Region	Provence
Sub-region	Bandol

Photos

Story

This Estate, located in the appellation of Bandol, has been a Gravier family homestead and vineyard for generations but the grapes had always been sold to local cooperatives. The latest family member to take the helm, Cedric, saw the potential and jumped in with both feet, making 1996 the first vintage at the estate to be bottled under the name Domaine de la Suffrene.

Situated on sandy-silt-laden, calcareous and clayey soils, the vines extend over 45 hectares between the municipalities of the Cadiere d'Azur and the Castellet, in the department of the Var. Cedric has built a beautiful winery that is a perfect combination of state of the art stainless steel equipment for fermentation, large well ventilated space, and old world oversized oak foudres for ageing. The facility is immaculately clean and Cedric houses everything he needs under one roof from fermentation to ageing to stocking to bottling and labelling.

The Bandol Rouge, which is a blend of Mourvedre (55%), Grenache (20%), Cinsault (15%) and Carignan (10%), is a wine that remains true to the character of Bandol, through its power, composition, and its very unique flavors. The Bandol Rose, so true to the character of this Provencale classic, is a blend of Mourvedre (40%), Cinsault (30%), Grenache (20%) and Carignan (10%). The malo-lactic fermentations are typically blocked to retain freshness.

Accolades

2018

The Wine Advocate 89+: A blend of 40% Mourvèdre, 30% Cinsault, 20% Grenache and 10% Carignan, the 2018 Bandol Rose is tight and refreshing, showing fine concentration and length, but it should open up and improve over the next year or so. Crushed stone notes accent peach and lime aromas and flavors in this light to medium-bodied effort.

Vinous: Vivid orange-pink. Smoke-tinged red berry and citrus fruit scents, along with hints of dusty minerals and succulent herbs. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and red currant flavors that slowly unfurl with air. Finishes with good, red-fruit-driven persistence and a late suggestion of anise.

2017

The Wine Advocate 91: The 2017 Bandol Rose is a blend of 40% Mourvèdre, 30% Cinsault, 20% Grenache and 10% Carignan. It hints at peach and pineapple on the nose, then delivers creamy texture and lush fruit flavors on the medium-bodied palate. It shows lovely texture and overall balance, finishing crisp and zesty, with plenty of life still ahead of it.