2019 Domaine Le Galantin, Bandol Rosé, Provence, France.
One of the joys of Summer is the release of new Provence Rosé(s) and especially those from Bandol, one of the most scenic and prestigious wines regions on earth sitting majestical on the blue Mediterranean sea, home to some of the most famous names in this popular genre, one of those is this Le Galantin, maybe the “baby” Tempier! The Domaine Le Galantin, run by Céline Pascale, who took over the domaine in 1999 from her father, is set on the ancient steep vineyards of Bandol, located directly on the Mediterranean coast, just east of Marseille. This small quality appellation was first planted by Phocaean Greeks around.600BC and is the perfect home for Mourvèdre, which makes for the bold reds found here as well as giving the Rosé wines their special sauce and structure. Le Galantin’s best vineyards are planted on poor clay, with a touch of limestone and sandy soil on old terraces, known locally as restanques allowing deep ripening of the grapes and expressive flavors. The appellations’s south facing vineyards get an extraordinary 3,000 hours of sun a year, but the heat is tempered by constant wind and also humidity from the sea, all of which in combination makes for robust, but balanced wines and provides the Rosé with serious substance and textured form. Domaine le Galantin farms just 30 hectares of mostly picturesque terraced vineyards located in Le Plan du Castellet with all of their vines being hand tended and cared for using all organic methods.
The 2019 La Galantin Rosé is vivid and vibrant with an array of citrus and racy red fruits with a medium full palate of crushed raspberry, strawberry and sour cherry as well as ruby grapefruit all pushed on the attack with crisp acidity and a steely mineral tone, this is a great vintage for this wine and the drinking pleasure is high, it perfectly matches the mood of the season with a sunny style and enough stuffing to grab your attention. Light floral notes, spices and dried herbs add to the complexity in this dry and focused pink. The 2019 Le Galantin was made with around 50% Mourvèdre, 25% Cinsault and 25% Grenache, from vines planted on southwest facing hillsides, with the mentioned clay/limestone soils. The estate picks the grapes , after which the bunches are cooled down to 50C for a two day cold soak in order to extract fruit, color and aromatics, while still delicate and translucent in the finished wine. The juice is then racked off and the grapes are pressed to stainless steel tanks, with just 10% of the wine being saignée, giving it a bolder fruit expression without being too weighty, the rest come from grapes treated as if making white wine, helping preserve fresh detail and crisp deliciousness. Great for sipping, this dry pink goes great with many food options, especially steamed mussels!
($20 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive