2008 Domaine de la Tour Du Bon Saint Ferreol Bandol Rouge

This cuvée was born in 1987 of the desire to single out the estate's best Mourvèdres, without diminishing the estate's reds. Saint Ferréol is only produced when the Classic wine itself is beautifully balanced.

Saint Ferréol of the rather witty name, and sometimes impenetrable depths, pays homage to this grape variety, which is at once omnipresent (90% in this wine) and so difficult to define, and to our plot of land, made up of so many different soil types. Reserved, strict and upright, its spicy, peppery palate leaves a mineral taste reminiscent of our sandstones. Tobacco, truffles and lilies combine with Carignan's acidity, which opens up the wine and brings out the brilliance in its shadowy depths.

The name was chosen by chance. It so happens that this saint, soldier and monk was excluded from his order because of his excessive harshness. This wine's upright style echoes that of the vine, and of the saint who is supposed to have ended his days at the stake... The Spanish grape variety Mourvèdre behaves like a bull, horns in the air and feet planted firmly on the ground, and takes no prisoners when matched with food. It would certainly go well with a Serrano ham with a twist of Szechuan pepper.