Guillaume Tari | Photograph credit: Gilbert Bages

"What a sorry era when information technology is easier to smash an atom than a prejudice."

Guillaume Tari mentioned a version of this Einstein quote every bit we settled in to chat about his manor and winemaking philosophies. In particular, nosotros were speaking on his production of rosé—his 2020 vintage sitting in front of me the color of deep congo pink and singular of the sea of light, lacy, pale pink rosés from the Provence region. Technically, Tari makes his rosé along with his reds and whites in Provence, simply they defy expectations, and after getting to know him, you lot'd look nothing less.

Located in the tiny appellation of Bandol is Tari's estate, Domaine de la Bégude. The city of Bandol is a short altitude due east of Marseille and west of Toulon, all located near or on the Mediterranean Body of water. Information technology gives its proper noun to the appellation, minor compared to the surrounding swaths of Côtes de Provence, with about 3,950 acres of vineyard state. Though it may be easy to think of this region every bit a burgeoning resort boondocks, the Bandol appellation sits near mountainous country that'south abode to its south-facing vineyards, climbing to an altitude of ane,300 anxiety. It's habitation to the Mourvèdre grape, where its vines are situated amongst patches of trees and undergrowth. Right at the top of ane of these peaks in front end of the grand Sainte-Baume mount sits Domaine de la Bégude. The manor has a view of Bandol out to the Mediterranean Sea. Tari explains, "The Mediterranean is a specific place with a specific manner of living, but in the appellation Bandol, we take the spirit of people from the mountains. Information technology's a identify of resistance." He goes on to talk about Sainte-Baume as a pilgrimage site—it'southward where Mary Magdalene came to retire for prayer and meditation. Many Christians make the pilgrimage, and non even the French Revolution could terminate them from coming. Tari himself is a man of contemplation and resistance—and his history and style are evidence of that. Even though he has served as President of the Bandol appellation, and is devoted to it, it doesn't always mean he adheres to the region's mainstream.

Tari is a 7th-generation winemaker. His family has been making wine around the Mediterranean body of water and Bordeaux for centuries. He was raised at Château Giscours, a Margaux Tertiary Growth in Bordeaux and learned from his begetter at an early age. In 1996, Guillaume and his brother, Louis, seeking a domicile for their vision of terroir-driven and ageable reds and rosés, discovered Domaine de la Bégude. His grandfather had bought 18.five acres of vines in Château Giscours dorsum in 1952. With their inflow at Bégude, the brothers found that same superficy of vines with the residuum of the area almost abandoned. It was seemingly a sign of destiny. Information technology was then that they established their electric current estate. Tari at present owns the property with his married woman, Soledad, and they've expanded their vineyard holdings to 76 acres in eighty different spots—interspersed with olive trees and forest greenery.

Vineyards at Domaine de la Bégude | Photograph credit: José Nicolas

"If you compare our vines to others around the globe, where all the vines are the same, nosotros say they are looking like a army. You tin't tell the departure from ane vine to the other, well-curved, perfect. Merely hither we are the resistance ground forces—we take rebellious, undisciplined vines," explains Tari. Every vine looks different at Bégude and buds differently depending on the vintage. The manor'south approach is to make sure that no human intervenes with that. As presently equally 1996, all pesticides, weedkillers, and chemical fertilizers were completely banished. The winery was certified organic in 2003. When Tari took over in the 90s, he felt as if he had to contrary the damage done in the past three decades—and he doesn't phone call his new regimen organic, per se. "They take new words for all of this, but it's harmony. There's a man ability to overtake nature, and the opposite is terroir—to exist in harmony with nature." Bandol AOP requires vines to be paw-harvested and additional sugar and irrigation is prohibited.

But additionally with Bégude, the vines aren't irrigated, they are all separately cut and treated, and in the winery, they simply use natives yeasts, and at that place is no fining, filtering, or addition of sulfites. These types of treatments take fourth dimension and patience and produce lower yields—and in that location'southward some suffering for it. Only Tari doesn't listen. "Considering of the suffering, the vines will give you lot something unusual, which we call vintage." When he plants a vine, he will non see a canteen of white or rosé for at least five years, and for reds, ten. Non a lot of it either. And for him, that'south perfectly okay—terroir is long-term.

Begude manor | Photo credit: @Drone-Pictures

An Unlikely Mistress

Merely that doesn't mean there isn't room for something on the side. Tari tells me, "I asked an former guy from the state to come and tell me if I bought a adept property with quality vines. 1 role of it seems to exist dead; the other has grapes. My married woman is side by side to me, and he looks at me, he looks at her, and he said to my married woman, I think your husband has discovered his new mistress. She was astonished, nosotros were but married for a month, and he says, no, he discovered Mourvèdre. Since and so, it's been like this." Simply, fifty-fifty his new mistress has been relatively long-term for him, and a simple fling doesn't give his relationship with this variety much justice. Mourvèdre is the quintessential grape of Bandol. The notoriously tricky grape thrives here in the warm, Mediterranean climate. And with Bandol'south higher altitudes and diurnal shifts, the grape's rugged structure tightens up and provides its wines with texture and freshness. The famed Mistral air current that runs through the region undoubtedly helps in promoting vine stress and deep roots, therefore solidifying the wines' complexity and foundation. Red wines hither must have l to 95 percent Mourvèdre and rosés with xx to 95 percent with permitted additional varieties of Grenache and Cinsault.

Domaine de la Bégude likewise hosts the Solarium of Mourvèdre—the largest genetic reservoir for the grape in the world, bringing together more than 116 varieties, institute both in France and abroad. A grouping of agronomical engineers from the Sleeping room of Agriculture of the Var in collaboration with the Bandol appellation instituted the Conservatory in response to growers who were solely focused on one clone of the grape—for higher yield, higher alcohol, and mass production. Other clones started to disappear, eventually leaving only ane type of vine. How would vintners hither wake upward in x years? They wanted diversity—an essential tenet to the longevity of the region. Guillaume Tari has helped reinvigorate the Conservatory by replanting over 17 dissimilar types of Mourvèdre—black, white, and grayness varieties—in virgin state at Bégude. He has overseen and conducted growing experiments, sourced from throughout the European union, and has enriched the programme a little fleck each year. It is now home to nearly 116 different types of the variety. This long-term planning and openness to adjustability take allowed Bandol and Bégude to consistently and over time exist a place that tames the "bad boy" Mourvèdre and helps it adapt to a warming climate.

Guillaume Tari at harvest | Photo credit: José Nicolas

Tari makes iii reds from the grape. His flagship scarlet is mostly Mourvèdre and sees the Bandol minimum requirement of 18 months in oak. Brulade is sourced from grapes at the domaine'south highest-altitude plantings, and their Cadet de la Bégude is a younger IGP Méditerranée and equal parts Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Cinsault. Tari produces these elegant yet structured reds as a committed conduit to the country. And they're products of a lifelong honey affair—both deeply rooted and rebellious, not merely in Bandol but also in the Provençal country of fresh-off-the-press rosés.

Rosé with Soul

Rosé production wasn't entirely off the tabular array at Bégude. It was inescapable. After iii years of failed attempts, he finally caught on to something. "In 1999, I harvested my oldest Mourvèdre for rosé production. Information technology was the terminal chance. There was a vino that was very expressive even in fermentation, which was surprising because blood-red at that stage is young, not fifty-fifty a baby. But with this vino, there was a lot of emotion, and information technology took me. I drank it, and it was pure Mourvèdre upwardly until the finish. He travels easily; when he's crumbling, he'south getting roundness, gaining secondary aromas. Information technology had soul, but everyone wants the pleasance now, not tomorrow."

Merely in speaking with Tari most his rosés, nosotros're missing out by indulging our need for instant gratification. Speaking with him at all sounds like the long game might just atomic number 82 to longevity, wellness, contemplation, and proper dégustation and pleasance. He explains, "Nosotros've been educated in a lot of orthodoxy about vino service. You serve the white at this temperature with the commencement course, the red at this ane with this, only with our rose, you tin can serve information technology at three unlike temperatures. Information technology tin exist cool and fresh as a bully white from Burgundy or at cellar temperatures like a red with an array of foods. Every bit it warms upward through the meal, you lot have one canteen only a different wine. We even served the 1999 rosé for dessert."

Photo credit: Gilbert Bages

Tari now makes a rosé regularly, and he lovingly put the fourth dimension into it and then we wouldn't have to. He even makes a 2d rosé, dark in color, and more red berry and spice in flavor than its Provençal counterparts. It'southward xc percent Mourvèdre and aptly named "L'Irreductible." Translated to English, irreducible is "incommunicable to restore to a desired or simpler status." I'd certainly rather beverage a rosé with soul than attempt to smash an atom.