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Bandol Rouge for a Summer Evening
Bandol Rouge for a Summer Evening
by Dustin Soiseth by Dustin Soiseth
2020 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
2020 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
Domaine Tempier France | Provence | Bandol
“Summertime wine? Certain reds work and others don’t. When it turns hot, some reds we import reveal unexpected virtues if served at a cool temperature. Either uncork one right up from a cool cellar, or, particularly if you are dining outdoors, place the bottle in a lightly iced bucket. Or put the red in the fridge until it’s cool, not cold. We have red wines that shine under such conditions. Domaine Tempier’s is one.”
— Kermit in the August 1987 newsletter
Tempier’s flagship Bandol rouge is a sophisticated wine, but it never hides its country roots. It is as equally suited to ribeyes for a special occasion as it is to homemade pizza on a Thursday night. You can even enjoy it as Lulu Peyraud did, and just put a slight chill on it before popping the cork on a warm summer evening. A cool glass of Tempier rouge, sweating in a small tumbler, can be more refreshing than any burly red has a right to be.
But no matter how you enjoy Tempier rouge, beneath the pure dark fruit, the intense depth of flavor, the energy, the enticing Provençal aromatics, lurks a wildness—perhaps owing to the large percentage of Mourvèdre—that is never tamed. Or as Kermit wrote, “there is always something wild and unpredictable about it, spirited, shall we say, yet it is honest and impeccable, full of warmth and finesse.”
Wine Type: | red |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | 75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 2% Carignan |
Appellation: | Bandol |
Country: | France |
Region: | Provence |
Producer: | Domaine Tempier |
Winemaker: | Daniel Ravier |
Vineyard: | 40 + years |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Aging: | Aged in oak foudres (25 to 50 hl) for 18 to 20 months |
Farming: | Organic (practicing) |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Bandol Rouge“La Migoua”
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At the domaine's highest-elevation site, Mourvèdre's might is gently enveloped by Grenache and Cinsault to yield a Bandol of great finesse.
2022 Bandol Rosé MAGNUM
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Terrebrune Rosé is always better after an extra year in bottle—in magnum it is obligatory.
2021 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
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2019 Bandol Rouge Magnum
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With the chewy, fragrant cuvée, something garlicky cooked over coals will do just fine.
2020 Bandol Rouge“La Migoua”
France | Provence
At the domaine's highest-elevation site, Mourvèdre's might is gently enveloped by Grenache and Cinsault to yield a Bandol of great finesse.
2020 Côtes de Provence Rouge
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Contrary to the usual rough and tannic reds of the far-reaching Côtes de Provence appellation, this is fresh and lively! A gem hidden in the hills.
2021 Bandol Rouge“La Tourtine”
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There are few pleasures like aged Bandol rouge from Tempier.
2020 Bandol Rouge“La Tourtine”
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La Tourtine perhaps best expresses the paradoxical combination of power and elegance that is a trademark of the Domaine's wines.
2022 Bandol Blanc
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This mineral blend has an ethereal perfume, reminiscent of blossoming flowers with a hint of fennel.
2021 Bandol Rouge “Lulu et Lucien”
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As Kermit wrote, “there is always something wild and unpredictable about it, spirited, shall we say, yet it is honest and impeccable, full of warmth and finesse.”
About The Producer
Domaine Tempier
About The Region
Provence
Perhaps there is no region more closely aligned with the history to Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant than Provence. Provence is where Richard Olney, an American ex-pat and friend of Alice Waters, lived, and introduced Kermit to the great producers of Provence, most importantly Domaine Tempier of Bandol. Kermit also spends upwards of half his year at his home in a small town just outside of Bandol.
Vitis vinifera first arrived in France via Provence, landing in the modern day port city of Marseille in the 6th century BC. The influence of terroir on Provençal wines goes well beyond soil types. The herbs from the pervasive scrubland, often referred to as garrigue, as well as the mistral—a cold, drying wind from the northwest that helps keep the vines free of disease—play a significant role in the final quality of the grapes. Two more elements—the seemingly ever-present sun and cooling saline breezes from the Mediterranean—lend their hand in creating a long growing season that result in grapes that are ripe but with good acidity.
Rosé is arguably the most well known type of wine from Provence, but the red wines, particularly from Bandol, possess a great depth of character and ability to age. The white wines of Cassis and Bandol offer complexity and ideal pairings for the sea-influenced cuisine. Mourvèdre reigns king for red grapes, and similar to the Languedoc and Rhône, Grenache, Cinsault, Marsanne, Clairette, Rolle, Ugni Blanc among many other grape varieties are planted.
More from Provence or France
2021 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2021 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
Clos Ste Magdeleine France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
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2022 Bouches-du-Rhône Blanc “Baume Noire”
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2015 Bandol Rouge
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2020 Côtes de Provence Rouge
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2019 Bandol Rouge Magnum
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2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2019 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2020 Côtes de Provence Syrah “Les Planches de la Garedivole”
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2014 Bandol Rouge
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2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2021 Côtes de Provence “Blanc de Blancs”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2021 Cassis Blanc “Bel-Arme”
Clos Ste Magdeleine France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine du Gros ’Noré France | Provence
2022 Bouches-du-Rhône Blanc “Baume Noire”
Clos Sainte Magdeleine France | Provence
2015 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2020 Côtes de Provence Rouge
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2019 Bandol Rouge Magnum
Domaine Tempier France | Provence
2018 Bandol Rouge
Domaine de Terrebrune France | Provence
2019 Bandol Rouge “Saint Ferréol”
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
2020 Côtes de Provence Syrah “Les Planches de la Garedivole”
Clos Saint-Joseph France | Provence
2014 Bandol Rouge
Domaine du Gros'Noré France | Provence
2022 Bandol Rosé
Domaine de la Tour du Bon France | Provence
Kermit once said...
Kermit once said...
Let the brett nerds retire into protective bubbles, and whenever they thirst for wine it can be passed in to them through a sterile filter. Those of us on the outside can continue to enjoy complex, natural, living wines.
Inspiring Thirst, page 236