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2020 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de la Tour du BonBandol rouge: that iconic dark, brawny nectar with unmistakable tannic grip. Agnès Henry’s version is trademark Bandol but also a horse of a different color. Her blend includes a little less Mourvèdre and a little more Grenache than may be typical, translating into a softer structure and an almost ethereal weightlessness. The 2020 Tour du Bon rouge, with its juicy nose and bright, crunchy fruit, its mouthwatering acidity and peppery verve, is particularly elegant. We opened it on a perfectly ordinary Sunday evening with a bowl of butternut squash soup and fresh crusty bread. It made our quiet dinner feel like a fête.
—Emily Spillmann
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
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 |
Vineyard: | 38 year average, 11 ha total |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, Silt, Sandstone |
Aging: | Wines age in foudres for 18 months before bottling |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
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 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
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2022 Alpilles Blanc “Jaspe”
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A gorgeous perfume of honeysuckle meets the nose, and the wine is at once both lush and nervy, comforting and stimulating.
2020 Bandol Rouge“La Migoua”
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At the domaine's highest-elevation site, Mourvèdre's might is gently enveloped by Grenache and Cinsault to yield a Bandol of great finesse.
2022 Alpilles Rouge “Grenache”
France | Provence
A thoroughbred of pure Grenache, this unbridled rouge is fresh and lithe, teeming with juicy dark fruit and ample goût de terroir.
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.
2020 Bandol Rouge“La Tourtine”
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La Tourtine perhaps best expresses the paradoxical combination of power and elegance that is a trademark of the Domaine's wines.
2019 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”
France | Provence
As Kermit wrote, “there is always something wild and unpredictable about it, spirited, shall we say, yet it is honest and impeccable, full of warmth and finesse.”
2020 Côtes de Provence Rouge
France | Provence
Contrary to the usual rough and tannic reds of the far-reaching Côtes de Provence appellation, this is fresh and lively! A gem hidden in the hills.
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 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2020 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2020 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2022 Cassis Blanc
Clos Ste Magdeleine France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge
“La Tourtine”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2021 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2021 Alpes-Maritimes Grassenc “Les Planches de Lunel”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
Les Baux de Provence Olive Oil “Les Baux”
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2019 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2022 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2020 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2020 Alpilles Rouge “Amethyste”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2022 Cassis Blanc
Clos Ste Magdeleine France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge
“La Tourtine”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2021 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2021 Alpes-Maritimes Grassenc “Les Planches de Lunel”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
Les Baux de Provence Olive Oil “Les Baux”
Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille France | Provence
2019 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
Our Guarantee
Our Guarantee
We only import wine we drink and enjoy ourselves, directly from the source.
Our wine tastes the same in your home as it did where it was bottled in Europe.
Like the long-term relationships we build with growers, we build long-term relationships with our clients. Have a question? Need wine advice? Just give us a call—510-524-1524.