he Wine
75'%' Mourvèdre, 14'%' Grenache, 9'%' Cinsault, 2'%' Carignan There is something about the dark, inky Mourvèdre, plus the salty sea air caressing the vines every night, that typifies classic Bandol. Match with slow cook lamb shoulder & ratatouille!
91-93 Points Joe Czerwinski – Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 'Tasted from foudre, the 2020 Bandol Cuvee Classique had been blended the week before my visit. Already showing classic notes of tree bark and truffle layered against cherries and raspberries and a touch of olive, it looks relatively precocious. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, concentrated and rich, with a long, plush finish. Drink: 2023-2035.
The Details
Variety - Mourvedre
Country - France
Region - Provence
Sub Region - Bandol
Extra - Cork
Year - 2020
Volume - 375ml
This is Bandol at its very best: rich, profound and very long lasting.’ Clive Coates
When Lucie “Lulu” Tempier married Lucien Peyraud in 1936, her father gave them Domaine Tempier, an active farm that had been in the family since 1834, near Le Plan du Castellet, just outside the Mediterranean seaport village of Bandol. Tasting a pre-phylloxera bottle of Domaine Tempier Bandol (a wedding gift from his father-in-law) inspired Lucien to research the terroir of Bandol extensively. Up until that point, old vineyards planted with Mourvèdre had been systematically replanted to higher-yielding varietals. However, more research not only showed its historical roots to the area, but the grape proved to be more resistant to oxidation, producing wines with great aging potential. By 1941, with the assistance of neighboring vignerons, Lucien worked with the I.N.A.O. (Institut National des Appellations d’Origines) to establish Bandol as its own A.O.C. Needless to say, large-scale replanting of Mourvèdre ensued, and Bandol now requires a fifty percent minimum in all reds. Lucien will forever be celebrated as the Godfather of Bandol, but also as the man who revived Mourvèdre to its former glory. Raising deep and structured wines of such refinement and longevity has made Domaine Tempier truly a grand cru de Provence. Kermit Lynch
Tempier has entered a new phase in its evolution with the appointment of Daniel Ravier as winemaker. Daniel comes to the Domaine with extensive experience in the Bandol region.