2018 Domaine Tempier, Bandol Cuvée Classique, Provence, France.
As per normal the Domaine Tempier Bandol Rouge expresses lots of pure earthy/spicy dark berry fruit, stony elements as well as ground pepper, fresh cut lavender, iron, tertiary elements and dried flowers. The nose gives red currant, tar and minty herbs before leading to an evolved palate of huckleberry, plum, black cherry, plus the mentioned berry and currant fruits, along with mixed spices, licorice, savory umami and cedary wood notes. Quite polished, full bodied and velvety once opened, this 2018 isn’t as tannic as some prior vintages and it is already drinking very well, it may not go for two more decades, but it is really delicious now and especially with meaty dishes. Typically the Cuvée Classique Rouge a blend of about 75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 2% Carignan, (no Syrah added here) and is all organic and the vines are all over 40 years old, set in Provence’s rocky clay and limestone soils. The 2018 shows the dominate Mourvedre throughout and has a deep purple/garnet hue in the glass, it is an old world charmer, graced with subtlety and a raw seductive nature and I couldn’t help but go back a few times to admire it durning an evening filled with a collection of fine wine offerings. The winery says, after 100% de-stemming, the grapes are fermented with natural yeast and vinified for 2 to 3 weeks in stainless steel, the after maceration is finished and must is pressed to used large oak foudres for malolactic fermentation and matured for close to 20 months. I’ve been lucky in my wine life to have had many, many bottles of Tempier and I highly recommend trying to catch up, and please don’t overlook their Bandol Blanc, which is fabulous, as it definitely gets over shadowed by the Rouge and Rosé!
The late Lulu Peyraud, as I’ve mentioned in prior reviews, (who) was the matriarch of Domaine Tempier, a legendary figure in the world of food and wine, who’s estate has long crafted red wines can easily age with the elite Bordeaux, they are Mourvèdre led wines that litter the top cellars of the rich and famous. I was first introduced to Tempier by importer Kermit Lynch, who almost singlehandedly brought the world’s attention to this estate and Provence. It was Lulu’s husband, Lucien, who help push through the AOC status for this unique terroir back in the late thirties and early forties, and Tempier championed Mourvèdre here, helping making it the main grape of Bandol. Lulu herself, was a renown chef and sought to bring Provencal cuisine to the world, she has entertained the likes of Alice Waters and Julia Child, inspiring everyone she met and being one of France’s great ambassadors of culture. Tempier is now farmed all biodynamic, the vines have a great view of this spectacularly picturesque sea side region of France’s Provence. The Domaine Tempier reds and the famous Rosé are made from mostly Mourvèdre of course, grown on these clay and limestone soils, overlooking the blue Mediterranean Sea, all overseen by the talented Daniel Ravier, the long time consulting winemaker here at Tempier, who now has Lulu’s sons, Jean-Marie and François taking care of the estate’s management and working in the vineyards. A big thank you to Chef Jerome Viel, who is a big fan of Tempier and who put a few cases of this vintage away in his cellar, and blessed us by opening this bottle at a recent industry tasting. The top bottlings, it must be said, at Tempier, La Migoua, La Tourtine and Cabassaou are as age worthy as, as noted above, any top Bordeaux, or Burgundy and Rhône, and should not be missed.
($72 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive