Domaine de L'Olivette

A short but sweeping drive in through olive trees and vines and past a few large sculptures brought us to the entrance of the Domaine de l’Olivette on the hillsides of Castellet.

Despite the terracotta tiles and Provençal shutters of the buildings, the estate surrounded by extensive gardens gave off a distinct ‘new world’ feel – maybe it was the modern art work but also perhaps because the Domaine had been recently modernised by the current owners (and descendants of the founders back in the 18th century).

The art continued from the court-yard entrance into the shop and tasting room that had plenty of oils and dips on offer as well as the wine.

The welcome was professional but with a smile and we were told a bit more about the history of the estate which was one of the pioneers of the 1941 Bandol appellation.

We tried two rosés of the estate all with a fairly even split on the mourvèdre, cinsault and grenache.

The Cuevée Tradition was light and spicy but flavours a little over-powered by the alcohol. The Cuevée Spéciale is made from older vines and again was spicy and seemed pretty potent – good for sipping and would work well with a tapas-type meal.

Tried and Tasted the Cuevée Tradition 2017 Bandol rosé at €14/bottle and the Cuevée Spéciale Bandol rosé at €16/bottle.

Destination, drop-in or drive-by? One to visit and maybe learn more about. Perhaps arrange a tour in advance as this did seem to be one of the busier estates.

519 chemin de l'Olivette - 83330 Le Brûlat du Castellet