WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 3 2016

LE CASTELLET
Of course there were the wines, mostly
roses, made mostly with Grenache
grapes, blended with 20 percent each
of Mourvèdre and Cinsault varietals.
They were great examples of the famous
wines of Bandol and we bought a couple
of bottles to enjoy on the ship. We bid
adieu to Raymond and headed to lunch.
During the previous hour, Michael’s cell
phone had rung constantly. We were
running quite late and his wife Cyrielle,
who coordinated the tour in real
time from her home office in Aix-en-
Provence, was urgently trying to move
us along. We ended up having to cancel
one of our tasting appointments so that
we would get back to the ship on time.
If Domaine Ray Jane was memorable
for its wines and vast antique collection,
our lunch was equally memorable
– perhaps the best dining experience of
this six-week travel adventure. Michael
drove us to the nearby ancient village
of Le Castellet, with a population of just
under 4,000. One of the region’s top
tourist attractions, the feudal village is
perched on a promontory overlooking a
patchwork of Bandol vineyards. The cobblestone
streets are lined with beautiful
old houses covered with wisteria and
bougainvillea. Many have been carefully
restored and now house craftsman’s
workshops, art galleries and eateries.
We expected a quick sandwich and soup
70 Wine Dine & Travel 2016