Château Pradeaux, Rosé Blend, Côtes de Provence, France 2024

Made from 45% Cinsault and 40% Mourvedre, with the balance split among Grenache and Carignan, the pale-iron-colored Côtes de Provence Rose is closer to Bandol-level complexity and concentration than usual.

A core of sappy, glycerol red-cherry fruit anchors a firm, punchy minerality, and the finish is remarkably persistent. The vineyards that compose this wine were, in fact, classified as Bandol AOC as recently as 2012, and this wine clearly distinguishes itself from among the vast ocean of Côtes de Provence rose by virtue of its terroir’s unique pedigree.

There is the appellation of Bandol with its plethora of producers, some good, some mediocre; and then there is Château Pradeaux, the unique, inimitable, standard-bearer for this ancient wine-growing district. The Château Pradeaux is situated on the outskirts of the town of Saint Cyr-sur-Mer that lies directly on the Mediterranean Ocean between Toulon and Marseilles. The estate has been in the hands of the Portalis family since before the French Revolution.