2023 Chateau Pradeaux Bandol Rose, Provence, France

The Bandol Ros from Pradeaux is perhaps the most serious wine in this category. Robust, rich, and complex with an ability to age gracefully, this wine is based on Cinsault (50%) and Mourvdre (50%), taking its slight orange tint from the latter cpage. The younger vines of the domaine (average age: 25 years) are utilized to produce a rare ros with staying power and exceptional complexity. The Ros is vinified by a direct pressing for 24 hours followed by fermentation in cement tanks at a controlled temperature of 18 degrees Celsius for about 15 days; the malo-lactic fermentation is blocked and the wine is usually bottled in mid-April of the following year.-importer’s note