Domaine Tempier, Bandol Rose 2024

Domaine Tempier isn’t just a winery, it’s the beating heart of Bandol. The story starts in 1834, but it was really in 1936, when Lucie “Lulu” Tempier married Lucien Peyraud and received the estate as a wedding gift, that the legend began. Together they rewrote the future of the region with Lucien championing the somewhat forgotten Mourvedre grape and pushing for Bandol to gain its own AOC. Without them, Bandol as we know it today probably wouldn’t exist.

What makes Tempier so magnetic is the striking balance between deep tradition and a certain rebellious edge. Their vineyards roll down limestone and clay terraces toward the Mediterranean sea, exposed to the mistral winds and Provencal sun. Out of this landscape come wines with both grit and grace: muscular reds that can age for many decades, luminous roses that carry texture and soul, and complex whites that defy expectation as they are layered and built to age for years. Personally we love them with 8-10 years of age which is when they turn into a real Hollywood Blockbuster of a wine. Seriously worth seeking out any of Domaine Tempier's single vineyard bottlings- La Migoua, La Tourtine and Cabassaou have their own dialect, expressing the land in accents of power, elegance, or wild earthiness.

But Tempier is as much about people as it is about place. Lulu, who lived to 102, turned the Domaine into a hub of food, culture and friendship hosting lunches that went on for hours, inspiring chefs and artists alike, welcoming anyone lucky enough to find a seat at her table. Even today, under the guidance of the family and winemaker Daniel Ravier that spirit endures. The wines are farmed organically, fermented with native yeasts and raised in large old foudres.

To drink Tempier is to taste Bandol in its purest expression and unapologetically itself. These are wines that greet you with wide open arms and remind you that wine is at its best when it feels like home.