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2014 Bandol Rouge

Domaine Tempier
Discount Eligible $46.00
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Any longtime fan of Domaine Tempier’s legendary Bandols knows: these are red wines to purchase by the case, as they provide loads of drinking pleasure from the start and all throughout their lengthy lifespan. Even the entry-level bottling, or cuvée Classique, as it’s colloquially know, has stupefied many by displaying stunning freshness and complexity at fifteen, twenty, or even thirty years of age.
The 2014 cuvée Classique, however, does not need twenty or thirty years to show its best. The vintage, which was characterized by a cool, dry summer, gave a concentrated yet balanced Bandol with great freshness that can be enjoyed today. It is most remarkable for the quality of its tannins: dense and palate-coating, they nonetheless have a soft velvetiness that most young Mourvèdre bottlings could only dream of.
    Sorry, fruit juice fans, but the nose is more earthy than fruit-driven, with hints of damp soil, mushroom, and thyme along with a touch of black cherry. It is simply delicious Bandol from a historic estate whose wines live up to its reputation year after year. Exercise a little bit of self-control and hopefully a case or two will get you through the next couple of decades.
—Anthony Lynch

Technical Information
Wine Type: red
Vintage: 2014
Bottle Size: 750mL
Blend: 75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 2% Carignan
Appellation: Bandol
Country: France
Region: Provence
Producer: Domaine Tempier
Winemaker: Daniel Ravier
Vineyard: 40 + years
Soil: Clay, Limestone
Aging: Aged in oak foudres (25 to 50 hl) for 18 to 20 months
Farming: Organic
Alcohol: 12.5%

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About The Region

Provence

map of Provence

There is perhaps no region more closely aligned with the history of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant than Provence. While Kermit began his career as a Burgundy specialist, he soon fell in love with Provence and its wines, notably the legendary Bandols of Domaine Tempier, which he began importing in 1977. He later began living in the area part-time, returning frequently between tasting trips, and today he spends most of his time at his home just outside of Bandol.

Provence is thought to be France’s most ancient wine region, established when Greek settlers landed in the modern-day port city of Marseille in the 6th century BC. The conditions here are ideal for cultivation of the grapevine, with a hot, dry climate and a prevalence of poor, rocky soils, primarily limestone-based, suitable for vines and not much else. The ever-present southern sunshine as well as the mistral, a cold, drying wind from the northwest that helps keep the vines free of disease, are crucial elements of Provençal terroir. Wild herbs from the pervasive scrubland, called garrigue, and cooling saline breezes from the Mediterranean also contribute to the quality and character of wines in all three colors.

Provence is well known for its rosés, but red wines have always held importance here. The very best, such as those from Bandol, possess great depth and a capacity for long-term aging. The white wines, notably those of Cassis, offer weight balanced by a maritime freshness, making them ideal pairings for the local seafood. Mourvèdre reigns king for red grapes, supported mainly by Grenache and Cinsault, while Clairette, Marsanne, Rolle, and Ugni Blanc are the region’s principal white grapes.

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Sampling wine out of the barrel.

When buying red Burgundy, I think we should remember:

1. Big wines do not age better than light wine.
2. A so-called great vintage at the outset does not guarantee a great vintage for the duration.
3. A so-called off vintage at the outset does not mean the wines do not have a brilliant future ahead of them.
4. Red Burgundy should not taste like Guigal Côte-Rôtie, even if most wine writers wish it would.
5. Don’t follow leaders; watch yer parking meters.

Inspiring Thirst, page 174