What can we tell you about Domaine du Bagnol? It is a 7 hectare property (a little larger than Central Park's Great Lawn) created by the Marquis de Fesque in 1867. Sometime in the last decade the Genovesi family (who also own the nearby restaurant Hôtel de l'Avenue) bought the estate from the previous owners, the Lefevre family. The have no website, no promotional materials, and as far as we can tell, focus on little if anything besides making some seriously great wine.
Here are my tasting notes:
"Of the 5+ vintages of Domaine du Bagnol rosé I've tasted, this could be the best yet: it boasts a delightfully mineral, earthy and floral nose, while the palate delivers crisp precise flavors of red fruits and has beautiful inner mouth perfume and grip. The acid structure in this wine is beautiful and really lengthens the finish. Despite the blend of serious red grapes (Grenache, Mourvedre and Cinsault) that give the wines substance, it comes off as ethereally light."
With incredible depth and complexity, this bone-dry rosé is made for spring and summer dinner parties.
Cassis?
Cassis (aka the blackcurrant) is a temperate shrub which produces small edible berries with high natural levels of vitamin C.
"Crème de cassis" is a French licquer made from these berries, particularly in the city of Dijon, where the kir (crème de cassis and aligoté) and kir royale (crème de cassis and champagne).
Quick tip: Brits refer to cassis as blackcurrant, and the licquer simply as "black." So when ordering a Vodka & Crème de Cassis in the UK, make it a "vodka and black."
Where In The World?
Cassis is a French Riviera town in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France, about 20 km east of Marseille.
Originally an ancient fishing port, first occupied by the Ligures between 500 and 600 BC, it was rebuilt on its ruins in the 18th Century and today is a major tourist destination.
It is famous for its calanques: huge limestone cliffs with valleys that meet the sea formed by pre-historic river mouths and huge glaciers.
The people of Cassis are clearly serious about its wine, as Cassis was one of the first three regions to use the French "appellation d'origine contrôlée" system introduced in 1936.
We get jealous just thinking about sipping on a Cassis Blanc or Rose while watching all the beautiful people roll by on the Riviera.