Bastide Blanche (Bronzo) Bandol Rouge Cuvée Fontanéou 2016

94+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The Cuvée Fontanéou from Domaine la Bastide Blanche is made from even older vines, as this parcel is planted to vines in excess of sixty years of age today. The vineyard is planted to the same percentages of mourvèdre (ninety-two percent) and grenache (eight percent) as the Estagnol, but this vineyard has a northerly exposition and soils of limestone and red clay. The 2016 Cuvée Fontanéou is another stunning young Bandol, delivering a refined aromatic constellation of sweet dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, a complex base of soil tones, gentle notes of garrigue, woodsmoke, tree bark and a topnote of coffee bean. On the palate the wine is precise, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with great mineral drive, ripe, fine-grained and gently chewy tannins, excellent focus and grip and a very long, nascently complex and seamlessly balanced finish. This is stunning Bandol in the making, but it is a bit more structured out of the blocks than the Estagnol in this vintage and will not be tempting to drink too early. But a decade down the road, watch out, as it is going to be stellar! 2031-2085. (Jul/Aug 2021)"

91 points Joe Czerwinski (Wine Advocate): "Almost entirely Mourvèdre from a north-facing site (there's a bit of Grenache blended in), the 2016 Bandol Cuvée Fontanéou is a spice-laden wine of ample complexity. Aged in old foudres, it's clove, allspice (not the vanilla) and cinnamon of new oak. Hints of cola, black olives, scorched leather and maybe even a bit of horse sweat also make appearances. It's medium to full-bodied, velvety in texture and just about approachable now but with the capacity to age another decade or so in the bottle. Impressive and traditional, it deserves to be set alongside a rich stew or daube Provençal. Drink: 2021-2032. (Jul 2021)"