A brilliant afternoon @domainelasuffrene tasting a range of there wines. Hosted by the lovely Audrey, on arrival she presented us with an extensive list and asked which we would like to taste. We opted for a mix of white, rosé and reds with a back vintage from 2003 as it was our 15th Wedding Anniversary and we wanted to find a special bottle for the occasion!

Tasting notes of the wines we liked the best and bought! 

La Suffrene Tradition Rosé 2017 AOC Bandol Rosé

40% Mourvèdre 30% Cinsault 20% Grenache 10% Carignan

Pale salmon in appearance. 

Nose: red fruits of strawberries and raspberries mixed with a stony minerality.

Palate: Dry, medium plus acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, medium plus finish and medium plus intensity of more strawberry and raspberry aromas culminating in a medium finish. A good everyday Rosé for drinking now.

La Suffrene Sainte Catherine 2015 AOC Bandol Rosé

This was a great contrast to the Tradition. Made with 90% Mourvèdre and just 10% Carignan. 

Two years bottle ageing give this wine a medium salmon appearance.

Nose: incredible nose of red fruits, red cherries mainly with hints of cream. Not surprising in a blind tasting the nose led tasters to think it was a red! 

Palate. More cherries combined with a velvety cream and a minerality that’s structured. Dry, with medium acidity medium body and medium alcohol culminating in a medium plus finish. This wine has  great balance and length with some complexity and intensity making it a very good wine. A good example of a Bandol Rosé that is a gastronomic wine that improves with some age, in this case peaking at 2 years post release thanks to the high Mourvèdre content and the terroir of this area. 

2003 La Suffrene Les Lauuves AOC Bandol Red

Appearance: medium garnet 

Nose: medium plus tertiary aromas hit you with forest floor, leather, and wet leaves.

Some dried fruit especially dried plum. Developing in age.

Palate: Dry, medium plus acidity, medium plus body, medium alcohol, medium plus tannin, more medium plus flavour intensity of primary damson mixed with tertiary dried fruits of dried plum and damson with spicy notes of clove and a little pepper. More tertiary notes of leather and spice and gamey aromas with a length that lasts and lasts! 

Great balance, length, intensity and complexity making it an outstanding Wine that is ready for drinking now but will continue to improve no doubt over the next ten years!  The grapes in this wine come from a one hectare chalky plot to the north of the Domaine.

The Domaine also makes 2 declassified Vin de 

A 2013 white made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc that is barrel aged in oak to give to some toasty smokiness and produces a sweet wine balanced with that all important background acidity.

A 2011 red made from 100% Grenache. A beautiful deep garnet colour with a medium plus nose of dried plum/ damson. Palate: sweet, medium acidity, medium plus body, medium alcohol more medium plus intensity of dried plum/ damson delivering a pleasing medium plus finish.

Thanks again to Audrey for the knowledge and tasting and pushing my French Wine vocabulary to new levels.