Critics reviews
Jeb Dunnuck - 29/06/2015
About this WINE
Domaine Tempier
If a naturally benevolent backdrop and a sense of history are anything to go by, as indeed they should be, then Domaine Tempier is well positioned as the leading Estate in the famous Mediterranean wine appellation of Bandol.
38 hectares of vines bask in a privileged amphitheatre, their maritime environment contributing to the unique climate first recognised by the Phoenicians as ideal for the cultivation of the grape. The pater familias figure of Lucien Peyraud has guided the property to its current pre-eminence, at the same time forging the precise laws of the AOC, which afford the wines so much personality and potential to age.
The leitmotif running through it all is the modish Mourvèdre grape, famously temperamental and inclined to perform only when its feet can paddle in the Mediterranean and its head can turn, in full heliotropic glory, to the sun.
The steep terraces, thankfully not claimed by the ever-expanding urbanisation, are ideal for these long-lived, rich and savoury wines, now in the capable hands of the régisseur Daniel Ravier. From the spectacular rosé, through to the four celebrated red cuvées, these are outstanding vins de garde. When I first visited I was a little early greeted by the charming widow, Madame Peyraud. She offered me a glass of rosé as we waited for Daniel and described with animation some of her favourite recipes, herself draining a rather large glass of Cuvée Classique in the process. It was only afterwards, to my astonishment, that I discovered that she was 95 years old.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre, aka Monastrell in Spain, is a common blending partner of Syrah and Grenache (aka Garnacha in Spain). In Australia and California it can also appear under the name Mataro.
Mourvèdre's bastion in France is Bandol, where it reigns supreme in the red blends and yielding a savoury, gamey, herby wine. It also commonly features in Southern Rhône, Languedoc & Rousillon blends.
The grape needs a warm climate to ripen fully. Its stronghold in Spain are the appellations along the south-east Mediterranean(Murcia, Jumilla, Bullas), where it produces rosé, dry red and sweet fortified wines. Monastrell has played a significant part in Spain’s vinous heritage; it nurtures wines that are deep in colour and richly tannic, sometimes overbearing in their intensity and concentration
Buying options
Add to wishlist
Description
Mourvèdre, which constitutes 50% of this blend, buds and ripens at a leisurely pace so responds brilliantly to Bandol’s long, hot summers. Its small, thick skinned berries give a rosé of rare complexity and concentration, salmon pink in colour.
At its best – and Domaine Tempier is, categorically, one of the apellation’s premier producers – Bandol rosé is a wine that warrants serious contemplation but doesn’t demand it. With a nose of pomegranite, peach, blossom and hints of spice, this is rounded but refreshing on the palate and is likely to enhance anything that emerges from your picnic hamper.
Will Heslop - Buying Team
wine at a glance
Delivery and quality guarantee