Domaine du Gros 'Nore' - Bandol Rosé 2024 (750ml)
Domaine du Gros 'Nore' Description
Alain Pascal could be a character pulled right out of a Marcel Pagnol novel—a kind of Provençal Hercules. Like his father, Honoré, for whom the domaine is named, Alain is a strong, husky man with hands the size of bear claws. That he is a former boxer and an avid hunter should be no surprise, yet his physique matches both his spirit and his wine—this gentle giant and his cuvées are all heart. Of the many stories recorded in Kermit’s Inspiring Thirst, those of Alain are among the most entertaining. For years he sold his prized fruit from Bandol to Domaine Ott and Château de Pibarnon. Though he and his father would bottle their own wine for family consumption, they never labeled it under their own domaine name. Kermit has called those early family wines, “Magnificent Bandols made in the simplest manner, très franc de goût, with a whole lotta soul.” In 1997 after his father’s death, Alain officially started Domaine du Gros ‘Noré, a real shift that has brought him more than just casual notice. Alain is already a leading contender in Bandol, the appellation regarded as the grand cru of Provence.
He farms sixteen hectares of vineyards with the help of his brother, Guy, on the rolling hillsides around La Cadière d’Azur. The vineyards are composed of both clay and limestone, imparting a pronounced structure of earthy, splintered rock. This microclimate near the Mediterranean brings warm weather and full sun, tempered by the persistent Mistral. Alain leaves his grapes to mature fully on the vine, lending great intensity to the fruit. Where appellation law demands that each blend includes at least 50 percent Mourvèdre, Alain uses 80 percent—a choice that gives more power and concentration to the final assemblage. Do not be fooled by the strength and boldness of the Gros ‘Noré Bandol, though; underneath a big exterior is a wine of character, depth, complexity, soul, and finesse.
The rosé is made from Grenache and Cinsault, two grape varieties harvested by hand at the start of the harvest season.
After a few hours of maceration, they are then blended with the Mourvèdre grape variety. These three grape varieties combined bring complexity and aromas of white peach, a beautiful roundness and a persistence in the mouth that delights your taste buds.
Tasting Note: A fruity wine with notes of peach and apricot, it is endowed with great finesse. Complex on the palate, a perfect balance between alcohol and acidity, which gives this wine a rosé for great gastronomy.
Wine Pairing: Serve with summer dishes, sushi, or even a shrimp curry or beautiful pan-fried scallops. It also pairs well with dill-flavored salmon or grilled swordfish.
Vinous: 91 Points
Of all the Bandol "heavy-hitters tasted in this report, the 2024 Rosé from Domaine du Gros Noré is the most overt and dialed up. Broad-shouldered and layered with buckets of ripe nectarine, toasted almond, white cherry and an undercurrent of rosemary and thyme, the 2024 is very much an in-your-face Rosé. That said, it's extremely well done within the style, though the alcohol pokes through a bit on the finish, knocking the balance off by a hair.
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