2014 Bandol Rouge

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

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