From the Archives
Tempier Rosé Through The Years
by Kermit Lynch
1980 BANDOL ROSÉ
Over the years I have drunk my share of rosés, domestic and imported. Since most domestic rosés are sweet I have wiped them off my list. There are good imported rosés but the one I love best is that of Domaine Tempier. It drinks like a red wine except for tannin, and has the fullness and richness associated with reds. The flavor of the Mourvèdre grape is there, and the fruit and the cleanness of a superbly made wine. For something that is more than a good summer rosé Domaine Tempier rosé is my drink. —Joseph Swan, California vintner, October 1981
1991 BANDOL ROSÉ
Winemaker Jean-Marie Peyraud tells me that in France this is the most successful rosé he has made so far. By harvesting a little earlier he obtained brighter fruit, lower alcohol, and livelier acidity. And indeed, the bottle does seem to grow empty quicker than ever before, if that is any indication of quality. —Kermit Lynch, June 1992
1992 BANDOL ROSÉ
Harvested a little early and with a suggestion of pétillance, this is quite similar in style to last year’s rosé. In other words, lighter in alcohol than it used to be and with a thirst-quenching liveliness on the palate. If the greatest wine in the world is the one you’d rather drink more often than any other, I guess this is my candidate for greatest wine in the world. Lucien Peyraud calls it a “vin du plaisir,” and I like pleasure. —Kermit Lynch, May 1993
More from the November 2024 Newsletter
