2017 Domaine du Gros 'Noré Bandol Rouge 750 ml

At the very top of our member ratings sits a pantheon of the world’s great wines: Champagne Bollinger and Ornellaia are up there, as is Vega Sicilia’s $375 Único. And holding court with the above marquee bottlings at a fraction of the price is our top-rated French red: the Domaine du Gros ‘Noré Bandol Rouge.

This is the wine we turn to for true French purity, a classic Bandol crafted from deep, brooding Mourvèdre that will please any fan of savory Old World reds from the Northern Rhône to Brunello. The critics, who constantly praise Gros ‘Noré, haven’t yet weighed in on the ‘17, but that doesn’t matter. We love this wine, our members do too, so we’re not waiting—and neither should you. 

As one of the top grape growers in France’s dreamy Bandol sub-zone of Provence, Domaine du Gros ‘Noré used to sell their fruit to greats like Domaines Ott and Château de Pibarnon. But now they keep it for themselves. None other than the New York Times’ Eric Asimov has included Gros ‘Noré as one of only three wineries worth a feature in two different Bandol-focused reviews recently. It’s the smoky, savory, and age-worthy classic that Asimov lauded as “rustic and soulful.”

The Wine Access members who took home the last vintage of Gros ‘Noré are thrilled with the wine, and have registered their satisfaction with a bevy of top reviews. As one member summed up the quality and the character: “Superb wine—the nose tells me it is French—and we loved it.” Another chimed in with the kind of lament we see often: “Wish I bought more.”

The 2017 pours a deeply pigmented shade of midnight purple. Blackberry, garrigue, leather, and dried marjoram aromas take the lead, with underlying notions of cedar, flint, and a pleasing touch of gaminess. It’s muscular and powerful, but not weighty, with a sinewy tension that is pure Bandol, packed with black raspberry, tilled earth, leather, and exotic spice flavors that dance across the palate with an elegance that belies its rustic, chewy tannins. Avail yourself of it, then do what you will: Decant it to perfectly accompany a grilled steak, or cellar it for a decade or more.

On its own—or accompanied by old or very, very new friends—Alain Pascal’s Gros 'Noré Bandol is pure pleasure. And Wine Access members will attest to it.