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2020 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
Domaine de la Tour du Bon
Tour du Bon can sometimes be overlooked among our more spotlight-stealing Bandol producers such as Tempier. But meeting Agnès Henry at this incredible domaine last spring felt like a revelation. As I swirled and sniffed and jotted my notes in her quaint little tasting room off the sunny courtyard—wafts of garrigue and citrus blossom drifting in through the open door—I found myself battling an internal dilemma: part of me wanted to shout this vinous discovery from the rooftop; the other part wanted to tuck it away like a prized jewel. Consider this page my rooftop. Saint Ferréol is a Mourvèdre masterpiece, produced only in exceptional vintages. Deeply complex with a stony minerality steeped in herbal aromatics, it calls for a luxurious cut of meat or a spot in your wine treasure trove.
—Madison H. Brown
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 90% Mourvèdre, 10% 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: | 13.8% |
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About The Producer
Domaine de la Tour du Bon
About The Region
Provence
There is perhaps no region more closely aligned with the history of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant than Provence. While Kermit began his career as a Burgundy specialist, he soon fell in love with Provence and its wines, notably the legendary Bandols of Domaine Tempier, which he began importing in 1977. He later began living in the area part-time, returning frequently between tasting trips, and today he spends most of his time at his home just outside of Bandol.
Provence is thought to be France’s most ancient wine region, established when Greek settlers landed in the modern-day port city of Marseille in the 6th century BC. The conditions here are ideal for cultivation of the grapevine, with a hot, dry climate and a prevalence of poor, rocky soils, primarily limestone-based, suitable for vines and not much else. The ever-present southern sunshine as well as the mistral, a cold, drying wind from the northwest that helps keep the vines free of disease, are crucial elements of Provençal terroir. Wild herbs from the pervasive scrubland, called garrigue, and cooling saline breezes from the Mediterranean also contribute to the quality and character of wines in all three colors.
Provence is well known for its rosés, but red wines have always held importance here. The very best, such as those from Bandol, possess great depth and a capacity for long-term aging. The white wines, notably those of Cassis, offer weight balanced by a maritime freshness, making them ideal pairings for the local seafood. Mourvèdre reigns king for red grapes, supported mainly by Grenache and Cinsault, while Clairette, Marsanne, Rolle, and Ugni Blanc are the region’s principal white grapes.
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Les Baux de Provence Olive Oil “Les Baux”
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2019 Bandol Rouge
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2022 Bandol Rosé MAGNUM
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2022 Alpilles Blanc “Clairette”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2023 Cassis Blanc
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2022 Bandol Rouge “La Tourtine”
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2021 Bandol Rouge “Cabassaou”
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.