One of Bandol's top producers, Château Pradeaux has been owned by the Portalis family since 1752. It was on this date that the Comte Jean-Marie-Etienne Portalis inherited the property; he subsequently became a minister under Napoleon and participated in the creation of France's Civil Code. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the Comtesse de Portalis came to live at Château Pradeaux and decided to plant a vineyard at the property, which had previously only grown olives. Her nephew Cyrille Portalis has managed the estate since 1983. Château Pradeaux's vines are planted in clay-limestone soil and gently cooled by the Mediterranean breeze. These conditions are particularly well-suited to Mourvèdre, the predominant grape in the property's grand vin. The vineyard is managed using traditional methods: chemical treatments are kept to a minimum and yields are strictly limited. Harvests are entirely manual and the grapes are not destemmed. After vinification, the wines are matured for at least three years in oak casks.

The domain’s emblematic cuvée, this red Bandol is a blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache. The vines grow in clay-chalk soil just over ten metres from the sea. Currently converting to organics, Château Pradeaux has nonetheless always been impeccable in its approach to vine growing. The grapes are harvested by hand and vinified in whole bunches in concrete vats. Fermentation occurs using indigenous yeasts. Since the arrival of Etienne Portalis at the estate, extraction shave been longer and more gentle. In terms of maturation, he didn’t change anything, so the wine spends around four years in oak barrels that confer a strong, tannic structure and incredible aging potential. It needs a few years to develop its explosive nose of black fruit, coffee and toasted aromas, as well as its flavoursome palate lifted by notes of truffle and cacao. Unsurprisingly, it’s a wine that pairs wonderfully with characterful meat dishes, or even a dessert like dark chocolate mousse.