2022 Domaine Terrebrune Rosé, Bandol

Bandol is a very special subregion of Provence reknowned for incredible reds and ageworthy rosés from the Mourvedre grape.  The region’s fame began with the work of Lucien and Lulu Peyraud of Domaine Tempier, which began in the 1930s.  Mourvedre was a vine that was being systematically torn up and replanted in favor of other varieties that were higher yielding, but the Peyraud’s knew that the grape was special and could produce exceptionally ageworthy wines.  Today Domaine Tempier’s rosé is widely regarded as the finest rosé in the world.  Of course, being in such reknown, those wines are always very allocated.  So when it comes to craveable Bandol, Terrebrune is my go-to wine.  The estate was established in 1963 by Georges Delille, who at the time a sommelier from Paris.  He spent the next 10 years renovating the property into one of the finest of the region.  Today his son Reyald is making the wines and they are a remarkable examplar of what can be achieved with rosé.  Even with it’s pale color, it is a wine that while delicious when consumed fresh, can also be aged for several years to gain complexity in the bottle.