La Bégude is a huge 500 hectare property, of which only a small part is planted with vines. The domain lies in the Cadière d'Azur region, near Castellet in the Var. It also has a large olive grove. The vineyard is in the Bandol appellation at an altitude of 400 metres. The Tari family (who own the agricultural company responsible for Château Giscours' vines) purchased the property in 1996. Guilllaume Tari manages the property. With a rich history, the site is like an open book. The barrel cellar, for example, is a 7th century Merovingian chapel. There are remnants of wine vats dating from the 14th century! La Bégude ("The place where one drinks"), is one of Bandol's most magnificent properties; eight grape varieties are grown: Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, and Carignan for the reds, Ugni Blanc, Clairette, Rolle and Bourboulenc for the whites. The soil is mainly marly and clayey on a limestone base.
The property has Ecocert organic certification.
The wines are aged for approximately 18 months in barrels (depending on the vintage). Deep and intense, the red Bandol stands out for its notes of black fruit and liquorice, and its imposing tannic structure in its youth, which then mellows wonderfully after a few years.
Keep for: 10 to 12 years.

A huge property in Provence, La Bégude crafts this white wine named Cuvée Amphore from 80% Clairette grapes topped with 10% white Ugni grapes and 10% Rolle grapes; typical varieties from the South of France enriched by clay and limestone soils, thanks to certified organic growing methods (Ecocert since 2006). Harvested by hand in small baskets to avoid damaging the grapes, they are destemmed entirely. The grapes are crushed and pressed under light pressure and the juice is cold settled before the indigenous yeasts trigger alcoholic fermentation. The wine is then aged on lees for four months, in terracotta amphoras, hence the name of the cuvée.
On tasting we find a pure and crystal-like wine with hints of citrus and white flowers, which are enlivened by a wonderful salinity on the palate.