Description
RED CELLAR TRIO WINE CLUB SELECTION
Guilhem Tournier started helping out in the vineyards of his family's Bandol estate, Domaine Roche Redonne, at the wee age of 9. In 2004, once he was all grown up, yet still a young 27 years old, he was ready to make his own wine. He took over the cultivation of a four-hectare parcel in La Cadière d'Azur called La Malissonne that was given to him by his grandfather, and released his first wine with the 2005 vintage. The vines are planted primarily to Mourvèdre, the main grape varietal of Bandol, with smaller amounts to Grenache and Cinsault, on undulating slopes with a south, southwest exposure to the sun. One of the great benefits of the site is its proxy to the Mediterranean where the vines are cooled by the late afternoon sea breeze, clearly supporting the local saying, "Le Mourvèdre doit voir la mer" meaning "Mourvèdre must see or view the sea". Guilhem farms his vineyard organically and has been following the biodynamic calendar with the desire to eventually go completely biodynamic. He only makes two wines, this Bandol Rouge and a rosé, however they have been noteworthy enough to catapult him into the ranks of France's most admired producers, including Domaine Tempier, the great Bandol estate that started it all.
The 2019 Cuvée La Malissonne is a blend of 95% Mourvèdre, which is much higher than the AOC minimum and the percentage employed at Domaine Tempier, plus 5% Grenache. Guilhem believes that extra Mourvèdre makes it more 'exotic and endowed with structure' and he uses that bit of Grenache to 'add a touch of fruitiness'. He ages the wine for 18 months in a mix of primarily used and some newer large French tonneau barrels. The nose suggests a variety of aromas from blackberry and black plum to savory herb, lavender and, as Guilhem points out, crunchy, broken shale rock. The aromas continue onto the medium-bodied palate as flavors with nice succulence without coming off as sweet. The wine finishes with good balancing acidity, medium-toned tannins and nice structure. This is a very well put together wine that shows a rather graceful personality, yet also delivers well its Bandol character. The structure and fruit in this wine will allow it to continue aging gracefully.
