Domaine Tempier is a BELOVED and legendary family-run estate, producing top quality benchmark wines from Bandol AOC in the Provence region, on the Mediterranean coast of France.
We first learned about the Tempiers when reading Kermit Lynch’s book “Adventures on the Wine Route” which offered a warm, intimate introduction to this family among others featured in the book.
As an aside “Adventures on the Wine Route” is a wonderful, in-depth look into key regions and producers of France. There’s nearly an entire chapter on Domaine Tempier in Bandol alone.
This particular wine is named after the organically-farmed vineyard from which it came – “La Tourtine” – and has 80% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, where grapes are picked by hand and the soils are still tilled by horse.
It aged in oak foudres (large oak vessels) for 18 to 20 months, leaving nary a note of new oak, but rather depth, texture and complexity from the very delicate breaths this wine took over that time aging before bottle.
It’s delicious – marked by classic meaty, leather notes, next to ripe cassis, earth, clove, anise, garrigue, not to mention texture, mouthfeel, and warmth.
This is the kind of wine we love in the fall, when braised meats and stews are on the dinner table. Or next to a roaring winter’s fire. Then again it pairs well with a summer barbeque and everything in between, too. It’s a seasonally- and culinarily-diverse wine to say the least!
What’s your go-to Bandol rouge? We’d love to hear it. — a month ago
Minerality, crispness, mostly dry…a profile I love. I was pleasantly surprised by this find at Fred Meyer!
— 8 days ago
2013 vintage. Drinking great. Red berries. Earthy. Tobacco. Medium body. — a month ago
Funky, light yet super earthy! It's a must buy. — a month ago
17+ Still plenty of fruit! A little brown at rim, but otherwise little sign that it’s 26 years old, except that tannins all gone and a lot of deposit. — 19 days ago
2023 is a good vintage — 22 days ago
Delicious. Mineral. White flowers. A bit of salinity. Drinking it en France with my sister makes it all the more special. — a month ago
romo
These don’t thrill me. Can’t argue with the balance, tho. — 7 days ago