Domaine Tempier Classique Bandol 2019

Tempier Classique Bandol is always a great buy. Rich, warm fruits. Earthy, leather and mineral. Full-bodied and rich with rustic tannins. Long finishing, elegant and full flavoured. There is a lot going on now but Tempier Classique Bandol has a lot more to offer with time in bottle. 2017 is a standout vintage to my tastes Red fruits,  funky/sulphides, schist, gamey/meaty. In the mouth, it is silk fruit with rugged tannin. More sulphide and black stones are evident. On the second night, the wine is a lot cleaner and still looked amazing. What is so special about Domaine Tempier? After I’d spent a week in Burgundy with customers in 2016 I started a 1200km road trip with two goals: 1. See the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco. 2. Visit Domaine Tempier in Bandol. And because it was on the way home I also spent a night in Avignon to look around the Southern and Northern Rhone Valley. Why did I want to visit Domaine Tempier? It is one of my favourite wineries in the whole world. Along with Main Ridge Estate, Larmandier Bernier in Champagne, Domaine de Montille in Burgundy, Domaine Tempier is a winery I indulge in as often as availability will allow. The wines of Tempier are Mourvedre based with Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, and Syrah. Grown on clay and limestone in the sun of the Mediterranean coast of France. The wines show the flavours and power of the Rhone with the structure and longevity of Bordeaux. We’ve looked at some older Tempier at the Matteo’s group as well as some of the cross-town ‘rival’ Domaine de Pibarnon. They’ve shown really well. Tempier is the home of dark, furry and rugged reds that live for a long time. Despite the gruff exterior, they are actually lovely wines that are engaging and charming. Outstanding Rose is made here and the whites too if you can find them. The wines are so amazing I named my cat after them! The region of Bandol is often overlooked but the wines have the potential to be some of the best in France. Mourvedre dominant, tough but with a surprising elegance and purity. Bandol The wines of Bandol are something special. Tannic red, saline rosé and surprisingly delicate whites always impress an eager palate. This particular patch of Provence has more then its fair share of great producers and is hard to find only by the fact that the wines tend to sell out rather quickly. Mourvedre (Monastrell) Also known as Mourvedre in France and Mataro in the new world. It is known for making a muscular, tannic, meaty, savoury wine. It is often the backbone of a blend but in places like Alicante, Jumilla and Yecla it is the major if not only variety in the red wine. Aging can vary depending on winemaker influence.