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The Bluetooth Protocol Hello - I´ve been away. I´m back 1. ANybody who has tasted young Bandol reds will know why a tasting protocol from such a tasting would carry the name above. The excellent Mike Tommasi had urged us to go back to the Tour du Bon, a domaine in the North West Bandol district run by a very dynamic lady who has moved down from Paris to brave the machismo of the Provence wine makers. Mike´s verdict was simple and clear: it´s the best, currently. Tempier and Suffrene are on an up curve, Lafran-Veyrolle very good, Gros Noré just coasting. This was the reason we found ourselves oozing down a Provencal by-road, cicadas buzzing, and Ron Carter playing "Round ´bout Midnight" on the stereo, with a scheduled meeting with Mme Houqart (sp?). Does life get much better? I mean, seriously? Unfortunately, we had dawdled over lunch and were 35 minutes late, which would have been quite de rigeur in Nice but rendered us a disapproving raised left eye brow from Mme, well-deserved of course. We started with the 2004 blanc, mostly clairette, 15 % vermentino, the rest Ugni Blanc. Very pale yellow, no visible highlights. Yellow plums (mirabelle), bananas, with a weak acidity in the attack, fruitiness, and a persistence in the acidity. A very light wine, possibly for apreitif, or a very light fish dish without creamy sauce. At EU 12 a bit on the steep side. Rouge 2002, which is made of 55 % mourvedre, 30 % grenache, 10 % cinsault, and the rest carignan. This oppulent wine was all black fruit, cbuttis and blackberries, liquorice, a sweet nose, bitter choclate, and a hint of violets (I have noted that in other Bandols too). A well-rounded wine with a matchin acidity, very balanced, I would dare say, in a rather international style. EU 14, and you can start drinking it right away. It had none of the diluteness and poverty of wines from the Northern Rhone of that vintage. Rouge 2000, from a warmer year, more sun, hence more sugar and alcohol. n dark, warmth, creme de mûrs, melted sugar, florality p sweetness in the attack, but fruit is masked by tannines, you can feel it is in there, but closed. Still, lingers a long time on the palate. Definitely a wine to lay down. Madame told us that one of her techniques was to let thegrapes hang on the vines for a rather long time, so that they partly desiccated - pbutterillé, is the French term. One up on the machismo boys who do not have the time for such niceties - hey, boys, get teh grapes in so we can hunt boar! is, apaprently, the war cry around harvest time in Bandol. To our disappointment, she had none of here newest creation, the sweet d´ici! which is a naturally sweet, unfortified wine made of Grenache. But she did tell us the 2004 was coming along nicely, and we could by the d´ou? at a very good price. Christina has a love for the wines of the other lady wine producer of the region, Mme Dutheil of Ste Anne. We proceeded to Ste Anne Evenosc where we were greeted by the youngest scion of the noble hous, M Jean-Baptiste. Ste Anne does not use Carignan in the reds - if I understand this correctly, the rationale for adding Carignan to a would be above all to increase acidity (of course, old vine Carignan is used for single cepage wines in, e g, Languedoc, not to mention the wine made by Mike´s friend M Terry). Rouge cuvée traditionel 2002 mourvedre 60%, grenache 20 %, cinsault 20 % n quite animal, making me for a moment suspect a slight attack of bret, continues with honey and red berries (raspberries) p tannines convey an impression of dryness, more of the red fruits, and a slight acidity Cuvée Traditionel 2000 n even more animal, and honey p spicey, same feeling of dryness of tannines, less fruit, slight acidity, more extraction Collection 2001 (98 % mourvedre) very dark in taste and apparition. Failed to give me any impressions at all, in a tunnel? We were also invited to taste a traditionel from 1993, which were starting to get notes of maturity, but, according to our host, not yet ready to drink. Comparing the wines of these two producers, their products are very different. Ste A has a certain rusticity, it is more animal, while, as previously noted, TdB is more rounded, frutiy, and, perhaps, international (this not said in a derpecatory meaning). After the tasting, Xina still holds to Ste A as her favorite, while I tend to prefer the TdB. No matter, the wines aquired will sleep in our cellars for several years now - apart from the TdB 2002. My guess is that the differences more express the philosophy and preferences of the producers, than the terroir of the vineyards. I may, of course, be totally wrong. Cheers Nils Gustaf 1 A protestmeeting is scheduled for this evening. -- Respond to nils dot lindgren at drchips dot se
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