The Bandol appellation was created in 1941 and is located in the Provence region west of Toulon.  The appellation covers around 3,830 acres of vineyards in 8 communes of the Var department: Bandol, Le Beausset, Le Castellet, La Cadière d’Azur, Saint Cyr-sur-mer, Sainte-Anne d’Evenos and Sanary-sur-mer and Ollioules.

From the Massif of Sainte-Baume down to the shore of the Mediterranean, the vines are an integral part of the landscape and its presence makes itself felt everywhere.

Information by Vins de Bandol

The Bandol terroir faces due south to the sea and benefits from nearly 3,000 hours of sun exposure a year.  At its feet, the Mediterranean sea protects the vineyard from extreme temperatures while on higher altitude, the pine and oak forests covering the hills block the cold northerly winds.  In the shelter of this natural amphitheater, dotted with olive and almond trees, the vineyards enjoy a micro-climate where sea and in-land breezes provide just the right balance of aeration and rain. The Mistral wind ensures a perfectly healthy climate is maintained, even after heavy rains.

The soils in the appellation area are mainly limestone and very pebbly with sandy marls and sandstones in places. They are as diverse as could be expected in such an uneven landscape. The action of natural erosion on the bedrocks of the upper cretaceous age (calcareous sandstones and sandy marls) resulted in sandstone soils enriched in silico-calcareous elements. Those are the most typical soils of the Bandol appellation. In some places the soils are of Jurassic or even Triassic age and consist of red or white limestone, clay and marl or sand. The main characteristic of the Bandol appellation is the stone-like aridity and low fertility of well-drained, highly calcareous soils.