WTN: Bandol on the Run

[David M. Bueker]

Business trip to France...opportunity to eat at Willi's Wine Bar in Paris...no time for pen and paper...all I need is a pint a day...if I ever get out of here...

2004 Chateau Pibarnon Bandol
This was not nearly as forbidding as I expected. Lots of ripe red and black fruit, just a hint of the herbal notes that speak to Southern France for me. Very enjoyable, especially with the beef course, but also a good partner for some of the harder cheeses that I had afterwards. Where's the tannin?

...and the first one said to the second one there I hope you're having fun...

2004 Chateau Pibarnon Bandol
This was not nearly as forbidding as I expected. Lots of ripe red and black fruit, just a hint of the herbal notes that speak to Southern France for me. Very enjoyable, especially with the beef course, but also a good partner for some of the harder cheeses that I had afterwards. Where's the tannin?
...

Was this a glass or did you have a bottle? If it was a glass, it might have been opened for a while.

A lyrical review for a lyrical wine.

Very interesting that tannin is so absent and the fruit so forward, for a (presumably mouvedre-laden) Bandol. The vintage pattern for '04 was sort of this way in the Rhone. I think I'm jealous, I usually have to wait a looooooong time to enjoy much from a Bandol.

Dawn is humming "Mamunia", now look what you've started.

[David M. Bueker]

2004 Chateau Pibarnon Bandol
This was not nearly as forbidding as I expected. Lots of ripe red and black fruit, just a hint of the herbal notes that speak to Southern France for me. Very enjoyable, especially with the beef course, but also a good partner for some of the harder cheeses that I had afterwards. Where's the tannin?
...

Was this a glass or did you have a bottle? If it was a glass, it might have been opened for a while.

Two glasses from a freshly opened (in front of me) bottle.

In my limited experience, Château Pibarnon make a more elegant style of Bandol which shows better young than the tougher wines of the likes of Tempier. This makes Pibarnon all the rage with Parisian critics but I have yet to have one which moves me like a mature Tempier.

[David M. Bueker]

In my limited experience, Château Pibarnon make a more elegant style of Bandol which shows better young than the tougher wines of the likes of Tempier. This makes Pibarnon all the rage with Parisian critics but I have yet to have one which moves me like a mature Tempier.

You've had a mature Tempier? Isn't that like a mature Gouges or mature Dunn; things talked about but never experienced.

You've had a mature Tempier? Isn't that like a mature Gouges or mature Dunn; things talked about but never experienced.

Indeed I have. A vertical going well into the 80s a few years ago ( I will try and did out my manuscript notes) and quite recently an excellent 97, an "easy" vintage, of course.

Gouges is an another thing. I had high hopes of a bottle of 69 with vineyard illegible but the bottle was corked!!

[David M. Bueker]

Interesting. I still have two bottles of 1994 from Tempier (a Tourtine and a Migoua), and might have to trot them out soon.

You've had a mature Tempier?..talked about but never experienced.

A few months ago I thought the 88 La Migoua and La Tourtine were both pretty 'mature' to my tastes. Perhaps they could hold on for many years to come but I wasn't sure how much evolution there was to find. (That said, I had difficulties with the brett/reduction/funk whatever you want to call it).

Interesting. I still have two bottles of 1994 from Tempier (a Tourtine and a Migoua), and might have to trot them out soon.

I have the 1994 Cabassau. If you ever get up this way we can do a Funky Offline.....

Hi folks,

I agree that the '88 Tourtine and Miguoa are pretty well into development, at least as far as nose and flavor goes. Quite they were quite the little bottles of "greek olives stuck under band-aids on burned baseball mitts" too.Their complements from the '89 and '90 vintages (at last tasting in December 2004) were still much more comparatively structured, with only partial aromatic development. I'm waiting at least two more years before touching either of the '89 or '90 duos again.

Happily, I'm still working through the '85s, 83's and especially, the '81s. Yes, they do open up nicely to have terrific texture in the mouth, though I'll never mistake them for a gentle wine from anywhere else.