95pts Decanter

The Parisian Hocquard family bought this 17ha estate, located on a plateau at 150m, for family holidays in 1968. Over the years they propagated new vines using massal selection and renovated the stone wall terracing. In 1990, the next generation, Agnès Hocquard, took over the estate, and in 2017 she was joined by her niece Marguerite Bréchat. The 2021 organic red blend is 58% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, 15% Cinsault and 7% Carignan, the fruit 90% destemmed and fermented with wild yeasts, and the wine was aged in oak barrels for 18 months. Elizabeth Gabay MW: Soft black fruit and a hint of tobacco. Fresh red berries, juicy black plums, supple tannins, dry on the finish. Oak adds structure not flavour. Amazing length. Beatrice Bessi: A crunchy nose of red berry compote with a smoky layer. Peppery, refreshing, small berry definition and some liquorice notes. This has very good concentration and length. Poppy de Courcy-Wheeler: Restrained nose of red and black fruits enveloped in cigar smoke. Palate shows youthful restraint, with carefully managed tannin and lots of red fruit.

Importer Notes

Bandol rouge: that iconic dark, brawny nectar with unmistakable tannic grip. Agnès Henry’s version is trademark Bandol but also a horse of a different color. Her blend includes a little less Mourvèdre and a little more Grenache than may be typical, translating into a softer structure and an almost ethereal weightlessness. Its juicy nose and bright, crunchy fruit, its mouthwatering acidity and peppery verve, is particularly elegant. We opened it on a perfectly ordinary Sunday evening with a bowl of butternut squash soup and fresh crusty bread. It made our quiet dinner feel like a fête.

Organic