2024 Bandol Rosé, Domaine de la Bégude

• Style: Crisp, aromatic Provençal rosé
• Taste: Bright raspberry and citrus with subtle garrigue spice
• Food: Vegetarian & vegetable; cured meats & charcuterie; salads & light dishes; shellfish & crustacean
• Occasion: Weeknight; Sunday lunch; summer drinking; aperitivo
• Serve: Now through 2027, chilled

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

The bouquet is unmistakably Provençal — ripe raspberry and blackcurrant intertwined with citrus zest and white-flower lift, with just enough garrigue to ground it in the scrubland above Bandol. On the palate, you get that juicy red-fruit core the region is known for, with a subtle savoury thread of herbs and spice that prevents it from feeling thin. Natural acidity keeps everything snappy and alive, a wine built for the table rather than the sideline.

The Winery — Domaine de la Bégude

Guillaume Tari, a seventh-generation winemaker raised at his family's Margaux estate, rescued this abandoned Provençal domain in 1996 and began replanting its historic terraces. The name itself — 'beguda' in the local tongue — means the place to drink, a fitting echo of its role as a refuge for travellers centuries past. Today the estate spans 500 hectares, with thirty replanted predominantly in Mourvèdre, a grape Tari has made his life's study: he curates the world's largest collection of Mourvèdre clones, now 116 strong, fascinated by how the variety evolves in bottle over time. For this 2024 vintage, a challenging season of frost and hail slowed ripening but concentrated flavour — the grapes were hand-sorted and destemmed before a cool, slow fermentation in stainless steel with natural yeasts. The estate achieved organic certification in 2006 and continues to champion sustainable viticulture in southern France.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This is the rosé you reach for when you want genuine flavour, not pale colour and surface appeal. Drink it now through the next two or three years, chilled, with roasted lamb, grilled fish, or a summer spread of tomatoes, olives, and charred peppers. Its brightness cuts through a mezze spread or vegetable platter, making it ideal for weeknight dinners and lazy Sunday lunches alike. Explore our broader Provence selection to taste what serious, food-driven rosé looks like — a world away from forgettable bulk-produced versions. Discover more examples of Dry Rosé and continue your journey through fine France with producers who challenge assumptions rather than follow them.