2020 Domaine Tempier Bandol Cuvee Classique

In the glass, this beautiful Bandol has a beautiful intense cherry red color and a purple glow. In the nose we smell the Marques with thyme and rosemary and black fruit (blackberry, cherry), dates, laurel and even some leather and tobacco. On the palate, this wine immediately starts generously with great complexity and a velvety texture. Beautiful powerful tannins and a relatively low acidity. Tempier wines are extremely scarce and are issued by allocation. The wines invariably receive high ratings. Parker writes in his review speaks of "A classic, textbook red Bandol that shows the vintage nicely". The drinking window of the Tempier Bandol is at least 15 years. The Tempier Bandol is also seen as the ultimate wine with game and roasts.

All red wines from this unique domain are vinified in the same way: complete removal of the stems and fermentation under controlled temperature in stainless steel. The grape cake remains intact. Once a day, the juice or wine in the making is sprinkled over the grape cake for optimal extraction. The duration of the soaking process varies according to the origin of the grapes, in order to preserve what the vine gives us. Then the apple lactic acid fermentation and an education for 18 to 20 months in oak casks of 25-75 hl. Grapes 75% Mourvèdre (Monastrell), 15% Grenache, 9% Cinsault 1% Carignan.

Bandol is an old port town on the Mediterranean, located between Toulon and Marseille. The hills directly behind the coast provide an extraordinary terroir for the Mourvèdre grape, which can rise to unprecedented heights here. The tiny appellation of Bandol undoubtedly produces the greatest red wines in all of Provence and one of the most captivating and impressive wines in all of France. The leading producer here is Domaine Tempier. Tempier has been owned by the Peyraud family since 1843. It was thanks to them that the wine was assigned its own appellation in 1941. In the 1990s, the level of the wines from this legendary producer dropped slightly, but with the arrival of the young ambitious winemaker Daniel Rabier, the wines are back at the top with the 2000 harvest. In addition to the basic red cuvée, three special cuvées are made, each of which comes from the best grapes from a specific vineyard. In addition, they also make an excellent white wine and a sensational rosé, which according to many is even the best rosé in the world. Clive Coates: “Bandol is where you will find the expression of the Mourvedre at it most untrammeled and – if you are patient enough – most triumphant. And in Bandol the best source is the Domaine Tempier at Le Plan du Castellet”.

We recommend decanting this wine 2 hours in advance.