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2019 Domaine Tempier Bandol Blanc - France, Provence, Bandol (27.8.2020)
A blend of Clairette (60%) and Ugni Blanc (30%), rounded out with Rolle, Bourboulenc, and Marsanne. Aged for 10 months in stainless steel and oak vats. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale, colorless whitish-yellow appearance. Very primary, sweet-toned and almost candied nose with aromas of banana and sour apple candies, some pear drops, a little bit of quince and a lactic hint of fruit yogurt. The wine is ripe, fresh and lively on the palate with a medium body and rather linear primary flavors of sour apple candies, some ripe pear, a little bit of grassy herbal character, light crunchy notes of quince and a creamy hint of fruit yogurt. At first the wine feels quite crunchy and high in acidity, but after 10 minutes or so the acidity appears to be much lower and the wine comes across as rather soft and round. I wonder if there was a slightest amount of CO2 to boost the acidity? The rather modest finish is light, soft and rather primary with short-ish aftertaste of ripe red apple, some pear, a little bit of sour candy and a hint of grassy herbal spice. The fruit doesn’t feel intense enough to hide the alcohol, so the wine appears somewhat warm towards the end of the aftertaste.
A pleasant, but also quite linear, primary and short little white wine that lacks all the depth and substance one looks for in a white Bandol. My guess was a very young Provencal white made of Ugni Blanc and Rolle grapes - just because of the straightforward and rather anonymous overall character. I guess this wine can turn great once it gains some depth and complexity with age and loses those candied primary fruit flavors - now the wine offers very little of interest, coming across as as interesting as a young Pinot Grigio from Veneto. At 10€ this would’ve been more or less worth the quality, but at 28€ this is just way too pricey for what it is. I hope this wine will turn out much better after a good handful of years in a cellar. (82 pts.)
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2019 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé - France, Provence, Bandol (27.8.2020)
A blend of Mourvèdre (approx. 50%), Grenache and Cinsaut. Fermented and aged in stainless steel and concrete vats. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Pale pinkish rose color. Somewhat understated, slightly reductive and quite linear nose with very youthful aromas of fresh peach, some red apple, a little bit of cantaloupe and a red-toned hint of raspberry. Very fruit-forward and quite primary overall feel here. The wine is fresh, youthful and slightly oily on the palate with bright primary flavors of peach, some pear drop, a little bit of sour apple candy, light lactic notes of yogurt and leesy creaminess, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of alcohol warmth. The overall feel is quite balanced with the rather high acidity. The finish is ripe and juicy with medium-long flavors of ripe peach, some spicy red apple, light cantaloupe tones, a little bit of leesy creaminess, a candied primary hint of pear drops and a touch of stony minerality.
A fresh and drinkable but also very linear and rather harmless Bandol rosé that feels just way too primary for its own good at the moment. The wine is all about almost candied primary fruit flavors and unintegrated lactic notes, both of which make the wine feel like an inexpensive everyday rosé from wherever. My guess was a rosé from Provence, but suffice to say, I was both surprised and disappointed when the wine turned out to be a Bandol rosé by Tempier. I love Bandol rosés, but this lacks the power, depth and concentration of those wines. The combination of ripeness, high acidity and understated minerality make promises of aging potential, so I am willing to give the wine the benefit of the doubt: I am keeping my fingers crossed the wine will drop its primary character after a year or two and come across as more serious, classic Tempier Rosé with time. At the moment the wine feels quite overpriced for the quality at 28€, since it really doesn’t offer much what a 10€ rosé couldn’t bring to the table. If you have bottles of these, do yourself a favor and let the just wait. You won’t regret it. (85 pts.)
Pale and rather neutral whitish-green color. Ripe, juicy and quite complex nose with aromas of honeydew melon, some chopped Mediterranean herbs, a little bit of golden apple, light nutty notes of slivered almond and a hint of buttery richness. The wine is broad, oily and quite substantial on the palate with a full body and very ripe flavors of marzipan, some bruised apple, light notes of hay, a little bit of honeydew melon, hints creaminess and panna cotta and a touch of ripe nectarine. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate, while the medium acidity feels just barely high to keep the wine from coming across as flabby or blowzy. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat warm with quite long flavors of honeydew melon, some nutty notes of chopped almonds, a little bit of hay and a hint of creaminess.
A very rich, ripe and quite substantial white with lots of body, fruit and alcohol. My guess was white Châteauneuf-du-Pape, based on the modest acidity, quite prominent alcohol and fruit flavors without any distinct qualities. Well, at least I got the country and the Mediterranean location correct. All in all, this is quite enjoyable for its size, although I’d enjoy this wine much more if it showed less alcohol and more acidity. Now the wine comes across as quite ponderous and is enjoyable for the duration of one tasting glass. I doubt I’d enjoy this wine as much if I had to polish half a bottle of this over a dinner. (88 pts.)
Deep, slightly translucent and somewhat evolved ruby red color with maroon highlights. Deep, concentrated and quite sweet-toned nose with attractively sunny aromas of wizened dark plums and dried figs, some sweet strawberry notes, a little bit of gamey meat, light blueberry tones and a subtle lifted hint of sweet VA. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and quite muscular on the palate with intense and rather dry flavors of gamey meat, juicy dark fruits, some wizened figs, a little bit of Sachertorte (a developed streak of chewy chocolate with a hint of apricot or orange), light leathery tones and a hint of dried savory herbs. The wine is still quite structured with its rather high acidity and ample, chewy and moderately resolved tannins that lend the wine a medium-grippy mouthfeel. The finish is warm, juicy and quite bold with ample, supple tannins and long aftertaste of wizened dark fruits, some leather, a little bit of ripe blackberry, light umami notes of gamey meat, a sweet hint of raisiny fruit and an evolved touch of dark chocolate or cocoa.
A rich, substantial and very harmonious Bandol red that packs a hefty punch, yet doesn’t come across as particularly stern or tightly-knit. Shows lots of ripe and juicy Mourvèdre fruit and comes across as relatively youthful for its age, although it is obvious the wine isn’t young anymore. In a flight of three 2003 Tempier wines, this wine easily overwhelmed 2003 La Migoua, which was already past its peak, but didn’t manage to trump the 2003 La Tourtine, which came across as much more stern and muscular in style. Side-by-side, Cabassaou felt softer, fruitier and more accessible in style, whereas La Tourtine felt more concentrated, tannic and savory. The preference over which wine was better seemed to split the vote in half: 50% preferred the fruitier, more accessible style of Cabassaou and 50% preferred the more tightly-knit, rustic style of La Tourtine. Nevertheless, both of them were very fine and impressive wines. (93 pts.)
Deep, moderately translucent and quite evolved ruby red color with an obvious mahogany hue and a yellow rim. Savory, oxidative nose with aromas of chopped nuts, some soy sauce, a little bit of raisiny fruit, light notes of hay and a sharp hint of rancio. Feels like it is past its peak. The wine is full-bodied, silky and textural on the palate with oxidative flavors of nutty rancio, some hoi sin, a little bit of beef jerky, light licorice tones and hints of dried dark fruits. The wine feels quite impressively structured with its high acidity and still moderately grippy tannins - but it might be just because the fruit has faded away so much. The finish is dry, quite tannic and very savory with medium-long oxidative flavors of soy sauce, some leather, a little bit of beef jerk, light sweet notes of raisins and a hint of bitter dark chocolate.
I wonder if this was only an off bottle or if the lighter and more delicate La Migoua cuvée just isn’t built to last as long as the heftier Cabassaou and La Tourtine? In multiple flights both Cabassaou and La Tourtine were drinking beautifully, whereas La Migoua was already going downhill with quite obvious oxidative characteristics. While both 2003 and 2001 La Migoua were already downhill, the 2001 wasn’t as badly hit as this 2003, which I’d prefer to mark just “oxidized” rather than giving it a proper score. If you have an opportunity to choose from 2003 Tempiers, go for La Tourtine or Cabassaou, not this. NR (flawed)
Deep, somewhat translucent and slightly evolved black cherry color with a hint of developed maroon hue. Developed and relatively restrained nose with nuanced, fine-tuned aromas of strawberries, some roasted gamey, light raisiny tones, a little bit of dried date, a hint of licorice root and a touch of ripe bilberry. The wine is firm, textural and quite sinewy on the palate with a moderately full body and intense, savory flavors of wizened plums and figs, some licorice, a little bit of ripe blackberry, light sanguine notes of iron, a hint of gravelly minerality and an earthy touch of herbal garrigue. The overall feel is quite angular and enjoyably tightly-knit with the high acidity and somewhat resolved yet still relatively tough, chewy tannins. The finish is dry, firm and textural with healthy tannic grip and intense flavors of juicy dark plums, some licorice root, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light dried-fruit notes of raisins and dates, a meaty hint of umami and a touch of earthy and slightly bitter herbs.
A very impressively structured, muscular and tightly-knit Bandol that feels still remarkably youthful for its age. The overall feel is very similar to Cabassaou 2003, but this cuvée comes across as less sweet-toned and fruity, emphasizing more those savory non-fruit flavors and assertive tannic structure. While Cabassaou was very impressive and outright hedonistic in its own right, this La Tourtine was easily my wine of the flight. A wonderfully serious and sinewy powerhouse that offers tons of pleasure now, but doesn’t feel like it is actually close to its apogee yet. Most likely this will continue to improve for years more and then keep for even longer. Fantastic stuff. (94 pts.)
Very deep, concentrated and almost fully opaque blackish-red color. Bold, brooding and somewhat sweet-toned nose with slightly restrained aromas of blackberry jam, some juicy dark plums, a little bit of peppery spice, light sweet notes of strawberries, a hint of gamey meat and a lifted touch of sweet VA. The wine is full-bodied, concentrated and textural on the palate with bold flavors of wizened dark fruits, some bloody game and meaty umami, a little bit of leather, light earthy tones, a hint of developed raisiny character and an earthy touch of garrigue. The overall feel is quite muscular and pretty structured with the high acidity and ample, yet relatively resolved tannins that have softened over the course of years. The finish is moderately grippy, very long and somewhat tertiary with layered flavors of gamey meat, some sweet raisiny fruit, light dried date and pruney tones, a little bit of oxidative bitterness, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of old leather.
A fine, noticeably big and quite voluptuous old Bandol that is starting to show somewhat tertiary overall feel, yet still retaining quite a bit of fruit as well. The balance between the big body, the concentrated flavors and the structure are quite impeccable - the tannins have resolved enough to make the wine pretty enjoyable on its own, but not so much that the wine would be lacking the powerful grip typical of classic Bandol. All in all, this is in a wonderful spot now. I can imagine this wine will keep for many more years and it might even evolve into something different from here, but to me it feels like it has reached its plateau of maturity and it won’t really benefit from any further aging. Compared to the more hedonistic 2003 Cabassaou, this was slightly more complex and interesting, but in this 2001 horizontal flight this wine didn’t offer competition for the exceptional La Tourtine 2001. (94 pts.)
Quite translucent and very evolved brownish-mahogany color with a pale, thin rim. Lots of deposit in the bottle. The nose feels very tertiary and slightly oxidative with aromas of nuttiness, some decomposing old wood, a little bit of smoke, light raisiny tones and a hint of hoi sin. The wine is full-bodied, somewhat restrained and pretty tired on the palate with a textural mouthfeel and quite tertiary flavors of robust gamey meat, some smoky tones, a little bit of soy sauce, light oxidative nutty tones, an earthy hint of bitter spices and herbs and a touch of wizened dark fruits. The wine is high in acidity with quite resolved medium tannins. The finish is dry, somewhat grippy and slightly bitter with very tertiary flavors of game, some sanguine notes of iron, a little bit of dark pruney fruit, light notes of soy sauce, a sweet hint of strawberry and a touch of earth.
Out of the three La Migoua cuvées we had in our Tempier tasting, two of them were quite oxidative and past their peak. The 2003 was obviously very oxidative and falling apart, whereas this 2001 vintage was just past its peak and starting to slide downhill. However, despite its very tertiary overall feel, it wasn’t completely shot yet, but instead offering some aged Bandol complexity, albeit in a rather tired shape. While drinkable, I wouldn’t say this was a particularly thrilling wine. Seeing how only 1/3 of these +15 yo La Migouas were in sound shape, I probably would invest my money in La Tourtine or Cabassaou cuvées instead. (80 pts.)
Deep, concentrated and slightly translucent blackish-red color. Wonderfully complex, slightly funky and quite seductive nose with layered aromas of sweet, wizened dark berries, some bretty notes of stable floor, light salty liquorice tones, a little bit of juicy blueberry, a hint of dried figs and a funky touch of barnyard. The wine is ripe, concentrated and beautifully textural on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of wizened sour cherries, some phenolic bretty spice, a little bit of new leather, light spicy notes of cloves and peppercorns, developed hints of dried figs and prunes and a touch of gamey meat. The overall feel is impressively structured and quite muscular with the moderately high acidity and quite assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is dry, robust and pretty tannic with a healthy grip and intense, savory flavors of leather, meaty umami, some wizened dark berries, light bretty notes of barnyard funk, a little bit of sweet licorice, spicy hints of peppercorns, cloves and garrigue and a touch of pruney fruit.
A beautiful, powerful and complex Tempier with tons of depth, power and structure. In our 2001 horizontal, this was the only cuvée with obvious bretty overtones, but they didn’t bother one bit - for the most people (me included) this was the wine of the night. The intensity, the complexity and the combination of ripe fruit and firm structure seemed to reach their apogee right here. The wine isn’t young anymore and most likely it is closing in on its plateau of maturity, but it still has some life ahead. Drink or keep, there’s no way to go wrong here. Just remember to decant it off the sediment and let it breathe for a while. With this much structure I’d rather pair the wine with something hearty than drink it on its own. Very highly recommended; easily among the best Bandol wines I’ve had. (97 pts.)
Deep, moderately translucent and beautifully luminous garnet color that has a developed mahogany hue and a thin, pale rim. The wine is developed, tertiary and somewhat funky on the nose with seductive, layered aromas of licorice root, some bretty barnyard tones, a little bit of wizened dark berries, light sweet notes of baking spices, a hint of blueberry jam and a touch of new leather. The wine is chewy, full-bodied and quite extracted on the palate with bold, intense and already somewhat tertiary flavors of wizened black cherries and ripe blackberries, some peppery spice, a little bit of gamey meat and sanguine iron, light stony mineral tones, bretty hints of stable floor and leather and a touch of bouillon. The overall feel is remarkably muscular and rather tightly-knit with the high acidity and assertive, still remarkably powerful and grippy tannins. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the mouthfeel. The remarkably long finish is very robust, tannic and structure-driven with some alcohol heat and intense flavors of sour cherry bitterness, funky barnyard tones, some wizened cranberries, a little bit of earthy spice, light bretty notes of leather and cloves, a hint of blackberry jam and a touch of licorice root.
An outstanding vintage of Cabassaou that doesn’t feel just opulent, hedonistic Bandol, but instead retains the gamey qualities, stern structure and funk I look for in a good Bandol. Along with the 2001 La Tourtine this was my wine of the night, coming across as very similar in style - maybe showing a little bit more of weight and extraction, but at the same time coming across as somewhat more evolved and tertiary. While La Tourtine 2001 felt still relatively youthful and capable of evolving further, this 1998 Cabassaou felt fully developed and now sitting firmly at its plateau of maturity. I doubt this wine will fall apart anytime soon, but at the same time I really don’t expect to improve any further from here. Structurally the wine could age for years more, since the tannins are remarkably unresolved still at +20 years of age, but fruit-wise the wine won’t last as much. Drink or keep. This is exceptional stuff. (97 pts.)
Aged and moderately translucent pomegranate red color with a rusty reddish-brown hue. Dry, savory and rather evolved - but not oxidative - nose with tertiary aromas of smoke, some roasted game, light pruney dark fruit tones, a little bit of blood, a subtly bretty hint of farmhouse funk and a touch of meat stew with a great deal of bayleaf. The wine is silky, savory and wonderfully textural on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and complex flavors of wizened dark fruits, meaty umami, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of earth, light bretty notes of barnyard and new leather, a hint of phenolic spice and a touch of beef jerky. The overall feel is quite structured, thanks to the relatively high acidity and still quite firm and moderately grippy tannins. The savory finish is remarkably long, textural and somewhat grippy with intense, layered flavors of bretty barnyard and leather, some roasted gamey notes, a little bit of dried figs and prunes, light bitter notes of earthy spices, a hint of smoke and a touch of meat consommé.
This wine seemed to continue the trend of La Migoua being the most evolved wine out of the three single-vineyard cuvées in every horizontal flight, but unlike the other two (2003, 2001), this 1998 didn’t feel oxidized - just fully developed and quite tertiary. The other two La Migouas were somewhat disappointing, but this one definitely was not. It is getting a bit too tertiary to compete with the best wines of the evening (La Tourtine 2001, Cabassaou 1998), but offers still tons of aged Bandol pleasure. Even though La Migoua doesn’t seem to be as long-lived as the other two Tempier cuvées, this vintage managed to prove that even La Migoua is capable of evolving wonderfully for +20 years. A terrific example of aged Bandol at its peak. Highly recommended. (95 pts.)
Moderately translucent pomegranate red color with a reddish-orange hue. Dull and slightly dusty nose that doesn’t give much. If one leaves the glass sitting on the table for a while, there’s a slight cardboardy hint of TCA in the nose when one returns to the wine. The wine is ripe, slightly sweet-toned and somewhat dull on the palate with understated, tertiary flavors of ripe dark plums, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dusty earth and a hint of root cellar. The wine has a silky texture with moderately high acidity and quite resolved medium tannins. The finish is soft, ripe and somewhat dull with quite brief flavors of sweet plummy fruit, some raisiny tones and a little bit of earth.
A very mildly corked bottle. The wine at first came across as just very understated and surprisingly earthy, but after the nose started to exhibit subtle TCA aromas, the matter was pretty much settled that moment. A shame, really. NR (flawed)
Surprisingly youthful, slightly translucent blackish-red color with a pale terracotta red rim. Brooding, concentrated and meaty nose with bold and subtly sweet-toned aromas of wizened figs, some dusty farmhouse funk, light jammy notes of blackcurrants and blueberries, a little bit of ripe black cherry, a developed hint of beef jerky and a touch of roasted spices. The wine is ripe, concentrated and chewy on the palate with intense, slightly sweet-toned flavors of pruney dark fruit, some animale notes of stable floor funk, light savory notes of gamey meat, a little bit of dried figs, a hint of blackcurrant jam and a touch of leather. The suave mouthfeel is silky smooth and the overall structure is firm yet not that tightly-knit, thanks to the moderately high acidity and quite resolved medium tannins. The finish is remarkably long, moderately grippy and quite savory with complex flavors of meaty umami, barnyard funk, some sweet black cherries, a little bit of jammy blackcurrants, light notes of roasted game, a hint of gravelly minerality and a developed touch of sweet raisiny fruit. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a rather hot note.
A wonderfully complex, harmonious and beautifully evolved Cabassaou. Unlike some of the more muscular examples of the old, stern Cabassaou, this vintage seems to be more in the vein of the 2000’s Cabassaou cuvées, showing more emphasis on the plush, ripe and quite hedonistic fruit than on the more savory tones and structure. The wine is beautifully silky and there’s some lovely softness to the wine, but it never comes across as flabby or a fat crowdpleaser. Furthermore, age has granted the wine some wonderfully savory, meaty and earthy qualities and there’s a fine touch of bretty funk that only adds to the complexity without overwhelming any of the finer qualities here. All in all, a beautiful wine. I must say I favored the 90’s Cabassaou wines we had over this vintage, but this is nevertheless a fine effort all the same. Highly recommended. (94 pts.)
Moderately translucent dark red color with a pale terracotta red rim. Surprisingly youthful for its age. The nose feels somewhat restrained and slightly dusty with quite tertiary aromas of wizened dark forest fruits, some beef jerky, a little bit of sweet volatile lift, light rustic notes of earth and farmhouse and a hint of dried flowers. Overall the nose comes across as quite developed and not particularly intense, but nevertheless pretty attractive. The wine is intense, textural and ripe on the palate with a moderately full body and complex flavors of ripe dark fruits, some sweet wizened figs and dark plums, a little bit of garrigue, light umami notes of bloody meat, a hint of leather and an evolved touch of bouillon. Structurally the wine is impressively built, thanks to its rather high acidity and still quite tightly-knit, assertive and grippy tannins. The persistent finish is savory, textural and quite grippy with complex and very lengthy flavors of meaty umami, wizened sour cherries, some rusty notes of sanguine iron, a little bit of beef jerky, light crunchy notes of ripe cranberries, a hint of pruney fruit and a touch of leather.
An outstanding wine that has all the hallmarks of an evolved Bandol: powerful, muscular fruit; stern tannic structure; some rustic notes of understated funk; and a good combination of those savory, tertiary notes that have joined the fruitier tones without overwhelming anything. The wine feels like it is at its plateau of maturity now: it is going to keep good for many more years, but most likely it isn’t going to improve from here anymore. Easily among the best wines in the tasting and only because of its somewhat underwhelming and dusty nose it didn’t manage to reach the heights of the top wines (La Tourtine 2001 and Cabassaou 1998). Nevertheless, a spectacular vintage of Tempier. Very highly recommended. (96 pts.)
Moderately translucent dark maroon color with a pale mahogany rim. Dusty, tertiary and rather aged nose that comes across as complex but not particularly powerful or expressive - singing lightly, not shouting. Evolved aromas of sweet hoi sin, some raw game, a little bit of bretty barnyard and stable floor, a little bit of wizened black cherry, a hint of campfire smoke and a touch of soot. The wine is tertiary, rather evolved and beautifully silky on the palate with a rather full body and evolved flavors of sweet raisiny fruit, some bretty barnyard, light funky notes of new leather and Band-Aid, a little bit of licorice root, a hint of concentrated pruney fruit and a touch of burnt hair. Structurally the wine is very powerful and muscular with its high acidity and still very assertive and grippy tannins that show surprisingly little sense of resolution at the age of 30 years. The finish is quite tertiary, rather tannic and very long with complex flavors of wizened black cherries, some gamey meat, a little bit of smoky, light raisiny tones, bretty hints of leather and stable floor and a touch of dried red fruits.
A beautiful, complex and fully developed Tempier at its peak. Structurally the wine has softened very little over the years, but flavor-wise the wine has turned quite tertiary and is now sitting firmly at its plateau of maturity. I doubt the structure won’t soften anytime soon and the fruit will fade away much earlier than the tannins have resolved. Drink now or in the near future. Very impressive and delicious effort, coming across as very similar to the vintage 1995 - only somewhat more tertiary and slightly less complex. Excellent stuff all the same. Highly recommended. (95 pts.)
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