At the end of the 16th Century, the Vannieres property was ceded to the Sieur de Lombard, Lord of Le Castellet, by the Abbey of Saint Victor. Today, the property is owned and managed by Eric Boisseaux whose family has its roots in Burgundy.
Chateau Vannieres lies between the villages of Cadiere d'Azur and Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, facing south and west, protected to the north by the massif of Sainte Beaume. The village of Castellet lies to the east.
Vineyard, Vinification, Wines
The estate consists of 47 hectares, 35 of which are planted with vines. The soil is made of marl and limestone. The average age of the vines is 35 years.
The grapes are hand-picked and carefully selected. The vinification of the red wines is traditional, with the wines spending 18 - 24 months in foudres and undergoing periodic racking.
The red wines are made of 90% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache. The rose is made of 40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault, and 20% Mourvedre.
Awards / Ratings
The red wines of Chateau Vannieres are recognized to be among the very best of Bandol. Neal Martin (Wine Journal, eRobertParker website) has written extensively about Vannieres and has consistently rated the reds highly: 2004 (92), 2005 (90), 2006 (93), 2007 (94). See notes on this website under "Wines" and "New Arrivals" for further details.
The Chateau Vannieres rose is a beautiful light salmon color with a gorgeous floral bouquet and an explosion of grapefruit and citrus flavors. This is a gastronomic rose that can also be enjoyed as an aperitif.
