WTN: Bandol Leader

[David M. Bueker]

• 2018 Domaine Tempier Bandol La Migoua - France, Provence, Bandol (9/4/2025)
  Part of a blind tasting I hosted for my group, this was the runaway group winner, and also my favorite wine of the night. It's much too young, but tasting it that night, and then getting to follow up on the last glass the next evening makes it clear it will go for a very long time, and has plenty of room to improve over the next 10-20 years. Right now it's dominated by dark fruit and a savory/earthy bass note. Aromatically it's more complex, with floral and subtle herbal notes. The second night it also unclenched a bit, where during the tasting it was showing some serious tannin. I won't be going near my other bottle for quite a long time, or until I get the urge to taste the ur-Mourvedre.

I'm a fan of Tempier and they are quite long lived (inspired by your note I'll put out some 94/95 to get into. Their rosé is also very nice. Sadly, they rarely make it into my market. I visited them a few years ago (Jenise was there too). Nice bunch of people.

[David M. Bueker]

Love their wines. I even put a Tempier Blanc in the tasting. It was good, and well received by the group, but not something I plan to pursue.

The rosé isn't half bad either! Hard to find where I am, though..

[David M. Bueker]

Yep. Still a few bottles in my cellar.

[Jenise]

I have loved the blanc in the past. But then I drink a lot more white wine than you do, methinks. BUT HEY WHAT ABOUT THIS WILD COINCIDENCE: I no sooner clicked on this thread than the phone rang. It was a friend in a wine shop who was staring at four bottles of Tempier Blanc--did I want any?