TN: 2005 Domaine Tempier - Bandol (France, Provence, Bandol)

Bought this 9 years ago for $26 — {sigh} … used my new Glasvin “Expression” glass and was happy with how it presented the wine.

2005 Domaine Tempier Bandol - France, Provence, Bandol (2/2/2021)
– decanted 1 hour before initial taste –
– tasted non-blind over a few hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 3 –

NOSE: expressive aromas of plums and blackberries; garrigue; red licorice; and a hint of wet stones. Day 3: strong mineral note now; still some garrigue and red licorice; probably still not yet at peak.

BODY: garnet color with slight bricking throughout; color is of medium depth; medium-full bodied.

TASTE: still a bit tannic, but drinking nicely; garrigue; deep, dark cherry, of medium to medium+ concentration; a bit earthy; medium+ acidity; alc. is a touch spiky; my score feels a bit high, but I don’t see where I’d score it lower, so perhaps it’s best to call this a slightly-underwhelming 93, but that should not be mistaken for me saying this isn’t excellent, because it is excellent. Drink now and over the next decade, perhaps even longer.

50, 5, 13, 17, 8 = (93 pts.)

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Nice note Brian. Such great wines and they did indeed used to be such a steal…

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Makes me want to check in on my 2005 Pibarnon.

Thanks for the note, sounds awesome. Fortunately the prices have not moved much in France and as such it remains quite affordable. I buy this bottling every year and just got some of the 2019 Blanc which I think is a lovely wine too.

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Sadly, the basic rouge costs at least $50 these days.

I’ve used to never miss tourtine and migoua (from '98 to '09), but now I’m regretting not going for more of the classique - those are gone and are the ones I’ve enjoyed most over the years!

Ilkka, the Tempier 2017 is finally hitting the shelves tonight over here. Have you tried it by chance?

Wish I started buying this much sooner. Love the rose, but never bought the reds until very recently. Would be nice to have some mature Bandol rouge to enjoy from the cellar before I’m an old man.

No way, went straight to the cellar. If one wants to drink their Bandol young I think there are other wines that are better suited for that. The most recent Tempier I’ve tried was the 2015 in 2019 and it was just way too ripe and all fruit to appeal to me yet. I am contemplating on opening the 2009 soon.

Thanks. I was hoping you had taken a peek since I was thinking of skipping 2017 & 2018 due to lack of cellar space but I might end up drinking some other bottles (white Burg I’m looking at you) to free up rack space.

Can’t help you there, sorry :slight_smile:

I personally buy Tempier and Château Simone rouges every vintage, no matter what. Somehow I’m way more picky when it comes to N. Rhône and Burgundy.

That price is such a flashback. I had a decent - and new to me - Bandol in the last year or so: Domaine Sorin. This is an AOC I hardly ever have any of at any time.

Hedging your bets, are you? This made me chuckle.

Great price. I paid $45, I think, circa 2007.

The last time I had this, several years ago, the tannins were pretty coarse and aggressive (like 2005 in many French regions), so I’ve held off opening my remaining bottles. Your notes suggests I should wait a few more years. Frankly, I had some doubts about whether the tannins would ever moderate enough for this to be a great Tempier.

Footnote: One of my biggest wine regrets is not buying Tempier for several decades. Stupid me!

Yyyyyep, on all accounts. I’m not excited to buy at current pricing, but very much wish I would have been lucky enough to load-up when I started building our selection. The score about the sentence – yes, a somewhat hackneyed attempt at making sure I’m not misunderstood. By definition, 90+ points is “excellent” from me, and I didn’t want that point to get lost amidst me saying this was an “underwhelming 93.” 93 is typically where I start being smitten with a wine, and that just didn’t happen for me with this one.

I have only started buying from 2015 vintage onward, still great QPR. And I ordered all vintages of basic Bandol in 375ml!

Side note: ‘15 is drinking well now. Does this wine shut down at all?

Had a 2008 Tempier La Tourtine last Sunday that was really rocking with lamb. I still buy occasionally, but my purchases of the Tempier reds dropped off as the prices rose. There are other producers that remain more reasonable, like Pradeaux, Pibarnon, Terrabrune and others. One of my grocery stores has a basic Bandol Rouge, Moulin de la Roque Bandol Les Hauts du Vallon, that is quite solid at $20.

-Al

Are there any other southern French mourvedre driven wines that are comparable to Bandol? I can’t think of any offhand…

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Arv, Chateau La Roque in Languedoc makes an IGP Old Vine (mostly - 70%) Mourvedre with 20% Grenache and 10% Syrah. 50-60 year old vines. My only experience with this bottling was a 2018 a couple weeks ago. I think it has many of the qualities of young Bandol/Mourvedre - and have no reason to think it wouldn’t cellar for 10 years with excellent results. Personally, I find that Bandol/Mourvedre really transforms in bottle after 8+ years so it’s impossible to judge much based off that one bottle and drinking them young is rarely anything like drinking them with time.

Ilkka, I opened the 2009 Tempier last year in December alongside a 2010 Pibarnon - the Tempier was absolutely gorgeous. The 2010 Pibarnon showed a bit overly bretty and was quite overshadowed by the generosity of the 2009 Tempier. I think the 2009 will be quite long-lived, with another 5 years of early maturity at least, and could likely gracefully go for another decade plus.

Barral’s Faugeres Valiniere is about 80% Mourvedre, and as wild as the old Tempier wines.

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I’ve opened a few 2017 Tempier Pour LuLu (and stashed the rest). I think it is worth an early look.

I find myself drinking (and enjoying) more young Bandol rouge than ever. Some is in part to just buying more Bandol (tasting one and cellaring the rest), but also I think there is a lot pleasure (and some pain) in the young wines. With no shortage of old Bandol in the cellar, I seem to be enjoying the wines more and more at all stages of life.

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