Our Engagements
Quality above all
Throughout the ages, Bandol has been constantly recognized for its wines, from the establishment of a Greek trading post in as early as 7th century BC, through to modern times with the official recognition of the Bandol AOC in 1941. The appellation’s rules impose a very low yield of 40 hectolitres per hectare.
Irrigation is prohibited so that the vines dig deep roots and produce the best possible expression of our diverse array of terroirs.
Since its creation in 1950, our winegrowing association has been based on seeking permanently high quality and the wines of Moulin de la Roque have thus always been made with the utmost care. In the past, Moulin de la Roque was responsible for ageing the red wines of local cooperative wineries (Sanary-Sur-Mer, Ollioules, Saint-Cyr and La Cadière). This ageing of red Bandol wines in small or large oak barrels is therefore a long-standing skill that our cellar masters have continued to practice since we began we became a fully-fledged winery in 1950.
Our winegrowers are all driven by passion and dedication for their work. Each year, every effort is made to harvest perfectly ripe and impeccably healthy grapes. All winegrowers agree to adhere to a common quality policy. This commitment, established in the late 1990s, has a clear goal: to produce the best wines possible at all costs, respecting the distinctive characteristics of the Bandol terroir and grape varieties. The aim is to produce wines that maintain a constant level of quality from one year to another, with each vintage reflecting our winery’s own distinctive style.
Harvesting is done by hand. The grapes are made into separate wines according to their origin and the composition of their terroir. The wines are then blended after several rounds of tasting to offer the very best AOC Bandol wines year upon year.
Red Bandol must be aged for at least 18 months in foudres (large oak barrels) to be eligible for the AOC’s mark of excellence.
All our Bandol wines are made from plot selections with the exception of a range of five red wines made to represent Bandol’s five main rock and soil types. These wines have been developed by Moulin de la Roque to ensure that the distinctive taste of each terroir type is preserved. This completely unique Bandol range is a true homage to the diverse nature of our terroir and the savoir-faire of our winegrowers.
Committed to quality and a sustainable future
At Moulin de la Roque, respecting our natural ecosystem is a priority and has made us a benchmark producer of AOC Bandol wines.
We have been focused on an environmentally responsible approach since 2007. Today we are working collectively towards HVE (High Environmental Value) certification. Our goal is to be certified HVE 3 for all our production by 2023.
A growing proportion of our vineyards are certified organic each year. In 2022, this will be the case for 30% of all our winegrowers’ plots.
The wines of four vineyards – Domaine de Nartette, Domaine des Capélaniers, Domaine La Ragle and Domaine du Valdaray – are made and distributed exclusively by Moulin de la Roque. Our AOC Bandol Domaine de Nartette wines are also certified organic, and with Capélaniers and Valdaray undergoing organic conversion, we will have a very wide offering of organic wines in two years time.
