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2021 Bandol Rosé
Domaine du Gros ‘Noré


The 2021 Bandol Rosé from Domaine du Gros ’Noré is all the talk here in Berkeley. Crisp and characterful, and loaded with Provençal complexity, it’s a balanced blend of structured Mourvèdre with equal parts Cinsault, a more delicate variety, and fruit-forward Grenache. Alain was once profiled during harvest for the major French news station TF1, and after seeing footage of his rigorous sorting practices, it’s easy to see why his rosé tastes so damn good.
“It all depends on the raw material,” he says. “If we don’t have that, we can’t make a high-quality wine.” Standing atop his tractor amid a bounty of freshly-clipped Mourvèdre, he inspects each and every cluster. Grabbing one whole like a giant drumstick, he tears off a bite with his teeth and swishes the skins, seeds, and pulp as if it were already wine. He pauses in reflection, then spits vigorously into an imaginary spittoon. “Too acidic, we can’t use that bunch.”
It’s August in Provence so Alain and his team pick before dawn to ensure the grapes remain cool. As the sun stretches up over the hills of La Cadière d’Azur, he practices yet another quality control technique. Holding up a gorgeous, plump cluster of Mourvèdre to the first rays of light, Alain fixates on where the sun enters the translucent skin of some pinker-looking berries, then tosses it to the ground. “Not ripe enough,” he indicates. It seems crazy to reject so much decent fruit, especially for a mere rosé, but Alain isn’t one to settle, and this is no ordinary rosé. “As soon as my grapes enter the cellar, the wine is ninety percent complete. I am just there to accompany them.” Alain repeats the sunlight test with a different bunch, only this time a glowy halo appears, and every berry looks deep, dark, and densley purple. This one makes it to press. With such ripe fruit, how does Alain keep his rosé so refreshing? “I press gently, never over-extracting. I prefer to lose in quantity over quality, that’s how to preserve finesse.”
The video ends with Alain checking on another parcel. One of his hunting dogs, trailing closely behind, devours some low-hanging fruit. Alain laughs, “Their palates are sharp, they won’t touch anything unripe. Yet another indication it’s the perfect time to harvest!”
—Jane Augustine
Wine Type: | Rosé |
Vintage: | 2021 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 54% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault, 19% Grenache, 2% Clairette |
Appellation: | Bandol |
Country: | France |
Region: | Provence |
Producer: | Domaine du Gros ‘Noré |
Winemaker: | Alain Pascal |
Vineyard: | 30 years average, 13 ha |
Soil: | 54% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault, 19% Grenache, 2% Clairette |
Farming: | Organic (certified) |
Alcohol: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region

2011 Bandol Rouge
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Offer this Bandol a few deep breaths in a decanter, and its demeanor will soften, exhaling cool notes of eucalyptus and fresh fennel as it cozies up to you.

2020 Bandol Rouge
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This full-bodied rouge, with notes of dark fruit and fragrant garrigue, is built for grilled lamb or pork chops.

2019 Bandol Rouge
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This Bandol is a big, chewy, broad, chiseled, and full of character—kind of like Alain Pascal himself. Classic Bandol flavors are ready to be served with a chunk of braised lamb.

2021 Vin de Pays du Mont Caume Rouge “Terre d’Ombre”
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From a region known for creating sometimes burly wines, here is a lower-alcohol, fruit-driven cuvée from declassified Bandol vines.

2019 Côtes de Provence Syrah “Les Planches de la Garedivole”
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If Hermitage were grown in the Provençal Alps...

2016 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
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This Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon blend provides just the right balance of sturdy southern grip and country refinement.

2018 Bandol Rouge
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Here is a full-bodied dose of Terrebrune terroir you can enjoy over the next thirty years.

2015 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
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This Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon blend provides just the right balance of sturdy southern grip and country refinement.

2019 Bandol Rouge
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The 2019 Tour du Bon rouge, with its juicy nose and bright, crunchy fruit, its mouthwatering acidity and peppery verve, is particularly elegant.
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
2015 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2021 Bandol Blanc
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2021 Bandol Rosé
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2019 Côtes de Provence Syrah “Les Planches de la Garedivole”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge
“La Tourtine”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2016 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2019 Bandol Rouge
Domaine du Gros ’Noré France | Provence
Les Baux de Provence Olive Oil “Les Baux”
Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille France | Provence
2021 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2021 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2015 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2021 Bandol Blanc
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2021 Bandol Rosé
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2019 Côtes de Provence Syrah “Les Planches de la Garedivole”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge
“La Tourtine”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2020 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2016 Les Baux de Provence Rouge “Cornaline”
Domaine Hauvette France | Provence
2019 Bandol Rouge
Domaine du Gros ’Noré France | Provence
Les Baux de Provence Olive Oil “Les Baux”
Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille France | Provence
2021 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2021 Côtes de Provence Rosé
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:
1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.
Inspiring Thirst, page 174