I’m not sure why my expectations for this wine were so high. In the past, I’ve enjoyed both their estate Red and Rose bottlings quite significantly, and after a read of Kermit’s ‘Adventures Along the Wine Route’ I thought I would visit with a new Tempier offering.
Boy was this wine a disappointment. The first sniff was overwhelmingly green… Pine shavings, juniper berries, green pepper. The palette was equally as green… Astringent and rough with no cohesion to be found. I decided to keep the bottle open over night and revisit it the next day, hoping at the very least the wine would pull itself together a little bit. It did not. It wasn’t undrinkable by any means, I think my shock and surprise were mostly from the disparity between the very enjoyable wines I’ve had from Tempier in the past and this particular bottling.
I didn’t know anything about the vintage characteristics and wondered if that’s the issue (2017 was not good over the mountains in the Langhe), but here’s one account that’s positive:
Provence, like the Rhône valley, generally escaped the frost problems which affected so much of France – though a small area in the Var suffered, mostly planted with IGP fruit. It was, however, the third year of summer drought in Provence, and this meant > small berries, small bunches and reduced yields> ; the harvest was 18% down on 2016. The early season and bright, hot summer also meant > an extraordinarily early vintage, beginning in Pierrefeu on August 11th, and everywhere at least two weeks ahead of the previous average for warm or hot years. > Tempier in Bandol began on August 22nd and finished on September 12th. > Growers were very pleased with the quality, suggesting that the Mistral had been critical in ensuring freshness in the fruit, and that 2016-2017 winter rains had also kept the vines healthy during the long, hot summer.
I haven’t tasted the '17 yet but I do buy a decent amount of Tempier and it doesn’t surprise me that it isn’t accessible yet. While the '12s and '14s are drinking very well now, the '15 is only just starting to settle down and the '16 almost sounds like bubbly when you take the cork out. I have only had one '16 so far to try it out and decanted it, tried after a couple of hours, decided it needed another day so poured back into the bottle, then decanted again the second day and it was still young, tight, slightly effervescent, but enjoyable. It was not enjoyable when I first opened and I love Tempier.
The palette had come together a little bit more than the first day, no improvement or change to the nose. It just felt so green I’m not sure how it could come together farther down the line. I suppose only time will tell!