Chateau Pradeaux 2019 'Le Lys' Bandol Rouge AOC

The Portalis family reserves their oldest vines for their flagship Bandol Rouge, and employs their younger plantings of Mourvedre, complemented by splashes of Grenache and Cinsault, in the 'Le Lys'—which we are excited to debut in the outstanding 2016 vintage. Comprising 85% Mourvedre, plus roughly 10% Grenache and 5% Cinsault, ‘Le Lys’ is de-stemmed around 50%, in contrast to the old-vines cuvée which is always fermented entirely whole-cluster. Etienne employs de-stemming here not to craft an easy and-forward wine, however, but to preserve equilibrium in a cuvée whose younger and less substantially sappy fruit may threaten to be overwhelmed by stem tannins.