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2012 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de la Tour du BonOn a lovely summer day, you stroll into the village of Le Brûlat in Bandol. As the salty wind envelops you, you amble along the garrigue-scented hills with aromas of lavender and thyme flowing in the air. You happen to stumble upon the picturesque Domaine de la Tour du Bon—a magical place that shelters a small farmhouse bed-and-breakfast where you feel like you immediately belong.
As the night creeps in and it starts to cool off, why not enjoy a glass or bottle of the classic Tour du Bon Bandol rouge—one of my favorite Bandols in the shop and a steal at this moderate price. This Bandol captures the essence of the Mediterranean. It has lush fruit with hints of rosemary, squid ink, and peppery meaty flavors. Why not pair it with its perfect counterpoint, spicy Moroccan lamb sausages, or a traditional Provençal dish like bouillabaisse? –Bryant Vallejo
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2012 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan |
Appellation: | Bandol |
Country: | France |
Region: | Provence |
Producer: | Domaine de la Tour du Bon |
Winemaker: | Hocquard-Henry Family |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, Silt, Sandstone |
Aging: | Wines age in foudres for 18 months before bottling |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2020 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
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Soulful and slightly wild, but beautifully balanced, this rouge has an irresistible notes of garrigue.
2021 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
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2018 Côtes de Provence Rouge
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2022 Méditerranée Blanc
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2022 Bandol Rosé
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Experience the delicate side of Bandol—gentle and full of charm, it offers notes of clementine, white peach, and lavender.
2017 Alpilles Blanc “Dolia”
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2015 Bandol Rouge
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Deep, opulent Mourvèdre fruit, a hint of game, ample flesh, and earthy nuances framed by bright acidity
2020 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
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With a touch of creaminess following the crisp stone fruit, it’s a Mediterranean white in a cashmere sweater.
2020 Bandol Rouge
France | Provence
The 2020 Tour du Bon rouge, with its juicy nose and bright, crunchy fruit, its mouthwatering acidity and peppery verve, is particularly elegant.
2019 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
France | Provence
Soulful and slightly wild, but beautifully balanced, this rouge has an irresistible notes of garrigue.
About The Producer
Domaine de la Tour du Bon
About The Region
Provence
Perhaps there is no region more closely aligned with the history to Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant than Provence. Provence is where Richard Olney, an American ex-pat and friend of Alice Waters, lived, and introduced Kermit to the great producers of Provence, most importantly Domaine Tempier of Bandol. Kermit also spends upwards of half his year at his home in a small town just outside of Bandol.
Vitis vinifera first arrived in France via Provence, landing in the modern day port city of Marseille in the 6th century BC. The influence of terroir on Provençal wines goes well beyond soil types. The herbs from the pervasive scrubland, often referred to as garrigue, as well as the mistral—a cold, drying wind from the northwest that helps keep the vines free of disease—play a significant role in the final quality of the grapes. Two more elements—the seemingly ever-present sun and cooling saline breezes from the Mediterranean—lend their hand in creating a long growing season that result in grapes that are ripe but with good acidity.
Rosé is arguably the most well known type of wine from Provence, but the red wines, particularly from Bandol, possess a great depth of character and ability to age. The white wines of Cassis and Bandol offer complexity and ideal pairings for the sea-influenced cuisine. Mourvèdre reigns king for red grapes, and similar to the Languedoc and Rhône, Grenache, Cinsault, Marsanne, Clairette, Rolle, Ugni Blanc among many other grape varieties are planted.
More from Provence or France
2022 Bandol Blanc
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine du Gros ’Noré France | Provence
2020 Côtes de Provence Syrah “Les Planches de la Garedivole”
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2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2020 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2021 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
Clos Ste Magdeleine France | Provence
2022 Bouches-du-Rhône Rosé “Marie de Magdala”
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2018 Bandol Rouge
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2022 Alpilles Rouge “Grenache”
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2014 Bandol Rouge
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2022 Bandol Blanc
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine du Gros ’Noré France | Provence
2020 Côtes de Provence Syrah “Les Planches de la Garedivole”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2020 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2021 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
Clos Ste Magdeleine France | Provence
2022 Bouches-du-Rhône Rosé “Marie de Magdala”
Clos Ste Magdeleine France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2022 Alpilles Rouge “Grenache”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2014 Bandol Rouge
Domaine du Gros'Noré France | Provence
Where the newsletter started
Where the newsletter started
Every three or four months I would send my clients a cheaply made list of my inventory, but it began to dawn on me that business did not pick up afterwards. It occurred to me that my clientele might not know what Château Grillet is, either. One month in 1974 I had an especially esoteric collection of wines arriving, so I decided to put a short explanation about each wine into my price list, to try and let my clients know what to expect when they uncorked a bottle. The day after I mailed that brochure, people showed up at the shop, and that is how these little propaganda pieces for fine wine were born.—Kermit Lynch