 From a technical and legal standpoint, we would describe this wine by saying it's a 'baby Bandol'. In our hearts and based on our palates (and channeling our inner Telly Savalas), we would say "it's Bandol, baby!' The Delille family spent more than a decade restoring and renovating the Terrebrune property in Bandol before creating their first commercial vintage in 1980. Much of their strategy, formed in large part with help from their neighbors at the famous Domaine Tempier, involved replanting many parcels of vines that had been poorly created by the previous owners, and even leaving parcels unplanted for an extended time to improve the soil health. As a result their property of roughly 70 acres -all within the borders of Bandol- has vines of vastly different ages. The younger vines are 'declassified' to be used in this more basic bottling, aged for a shorter time in used oak and released young to drink young, but is still dripping with classic Bandol character. Savory currents, dark berry and Provencal herbs pop from the glass at first pour, getting more intense as it opens but staying subtle and cool. A major difference between a true Bandol and a wine at the IGP designation is the alcohol level, where the IGP bottlings generally landing 1%-1.5% less than Bandol. The palate definitely feels lighter because of it, but only by comparison, and also shows a lot less of Mourvedre's intense tannins, allowing the dark herbal flavors to hit your palate a lot easier. The approachability for a wine from this region is almost unheard of, and it gets more compelling the longer it's open. A great wine to take your grilling to the next level.
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