Tempier Bandol Rosé 2023

Gifted her family's ancient vineyards as a wedding present in 1936, Lulu Tempier and her husband Lucien Peyraud were instrumental in establishing the Bandol appellation and Domaine Tempier as one of France’s great wine estates.

Lucien was a master of long-lived savoury reds majoring on the grape Mourvèdre, as well as an iconic rosé and a rare Bandol blanc, while Lulu was the genius in their kitchen and responsible for introducing the world to Provençal cooking alongside her friends food writer Richard Olney and chef Alice Waters. In turn, Tempier would become a cornerstone in Kermit Lynch’s seminal book, “Adventures on the Wine Route”.

The domaine’s flagship cuvée – recently renamed ‘Lucien & Lulu’ after the latter passed away in 2020 at the age of 102 – is the reference point for red Bandol. Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, and Carignan are sourced from an amphitheatre of 40-year-old biodynamic vineyards and then aged in oak foudres for up to 20 months. 

“One of the most perfumed and complex rosés in France. Medium bodied, textural, and layered, it’s perfectly balanced with a fleshy core of fruit and bright acids.” Drink now to 2034+. 93 points, Wine Advocate