Region: Bandol Grapes: Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault First Glance: Black Cherry, Zesty Acid, Fine Tannin, Long Finish
The Wine: Located near Castellet, this terroir is extremely windy but also exposed to the sun from sunrise to sunset. The soil is composed of sandstone and marl. Although located at the top of the hill, the soil is relatively deep with a lot of clay. The vines mature easily on the hillside favorable to Mourvèdre. La Tourtine blends power and elegance. The cuvée is selected from this exceptional terroir of only 5.5 hectares.
Clusters are hand-selected in the vineyard and in the cellar; de-stemmed, crushed and put into concrete vats for 3 to 4 weeks to ferment naturally with indigenous yeasts. Elevage is for 18 months in large old foudres.
The Review: Chris Santini - Kermit Lynch "At this stage, La Tourtine is the most open, fruit-forward, and alluring of the three reds here. Zesty and vibrant, with notes of black cherries, blood orange, and iron, this bottle will be hard to keep your hands off now. But do yourself a favor and grab at least a few bottles to revisit in five, ten, and twenty years from now. There are few pleasures like aged Bandol rouge from Tempier."
