Tempier, a reference in Bandol

Located in the heart of the Bandol appellation on sunny slopes bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the Domaine Tempier is today considered the best area of this AOP. Tempier is the only estate in Provence awarded 3*/3 by the famous French RVF 2018!

Lucien Peyraud took over the vineyard from 1941 to 1982 and became a forerunner of the appellation by replanting grape varieties adapted to this stony soil with the conviction to erect the Bandol to the same rank as the Burgundies or Bordeaux. His two sons François and Jean-Marie will succeed him.

Today, this vineyard of 38 hectares is managed by Daniel Ravier who continues to magnify it and continue the efforts undertaken by the Peyraud family, always present on the spot.

Tempier is made up of a mosaic of terroirs, the main ones being La Migoua, Tourtine, Cabassaou and La Bastide, all located on terraced clay-limestone soils.

The Peyraud family has always practiced a viticulture where the work of the vine and its terroirs was paramount.

The warm, dry climate protecting the vines from disease, Daniel Ravier adopts biodynamics in 2013. Tillage is traditional, without herbicides to promote the microbial life of the soil. The winemaker is convinced that nature must maintain its own biological balance.

The red wines contain a majority of mourvedre, grenache and cinsault complete the assembly.

The different single vineyards are not harvested (manually, of course, for the first sorting of the grapes) unless the maturity is not perfect. A second sorting is done at the entrance to the cellar.

The grapes are destemmed, crushed and then sent in thermoregulated tanks where the fermentations leave naturally thanks to the native flora. The wines then undergo a malo-lactic fermentation, and are neither glued nor filtered.

The different vintages of the Domaine Tempier:

•     White Bandol: very mineral on the freshness.
•     Bandol rosé: beautiful freshness by its acid balance.
•     Bandol red: fruity and balanced.
•     La Migoua: more animal than other vintages, La Migoua shows a great complexity. Subtle aromas, beautiful balance, and long guard.
•     La Tourtine: vintage of great guard with aromas of small red berries and spices.
•     Cabassaou: full-bodied and powerful, with low yields. Rare wine
  
  

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate : Easily the most widely recognized estate in Bandol, Domaine Tempier has been run by the Peyraud family since 1936. Today, with the passing of Lucien Peyraud in 1996 and the retirement of sons Francois and Jean-Marie, the estate is run by the tall, energetic and talented Daniel Ravier—who speaks with a refreshing honesty and humility. Looking at the reds, the estate fashions four cuvees, a classic Bandol from a mix of terroirs, and three single vineyards—La Migoua, La Tourtine and Cabassaou. Lying outside the village of Le Beausset, the La Migoua vineyard is the highest elevation site of the three and sits at 270 meters above sea level; it consists of diverse clay and limestone soils. Possessing the smallest amount of Mourvèdre (~55%) and the most Grenache, this cuvee is always slightly less powerful and rich than the other two single vineyards, yet is always the most perfumed and complex. The La Tourtine parcel lies at a slightly lower elevation, in the Castellet region, and is more homogeneously clay soils. This parcel yields a powerful, rich, concentrated and surprisingly polished Bandol that has the fruit and texture to impress in its youth, yet the concentration to age beautifully. The smallest parcel is the Cabassaou, which lies below the Tourtine parcel in a more sheltered, warmer terroir. This cuvee has the highest percentage of Mourvèdre (upwards of 95%), as well as some of the oldest vines of the estate. It shares similarities to the Tourtine cuvee and is a rich, powerful, seriously impressive wine that every wine lover should taste once (preferably more) in their life.