2016 Domaine Tempier Bandol La Migoua- France, Provence, Bandol (8/21/2020)
Decanted 6 hrs and served with pan seared halloumi and NY Steak on top of a bed of back lentils and sauted sweet peppers, a little oregano and basil on top, great pairing.
Read somewhere that the Migoua is a little ‘softer’ when compared to the Tourtine, less moudevre etc. Ha! Is all I can say as this baby had some serious structure going on, Ivan Drago-esque in case you dont get the point. I should add my enthusiasm for this wine should note that I’m a bit of a wine masochist - I don’t seek strong tannins, but I enjoy being slapped around a little in the mouth from time to time. Beyond the firm tannic structure, there is a gorgeous layer of very dark cassis fruit just waiting for its turn - but its showing enough to be a pleasing experience. Great thrust of earth and black pepper on this finish. I would love to see where this goes in 10 to 15 years. Love Tempier. (93 pts.)
Wow, talk about taking one for the team. Thanks for the note, seems like a great pairing indeed. I’ve had Tempier in all colors and enjoyed every drop, but I’m yet to try the single vineyards. Seems like that needs to change but I think 15 years from the vintage is about right, if not more.
I didn’t expect to read this descriptor in a wine board, but if it describes the experience then why not.
I’ve tasted the regular 2016 and it is one serious wine, but I’d wager that the single vineyard version would be at least a notch better. Extended cellar time is also a friend of these wines, so I fully expect it to show better than it already is.
Thanks for the note, I opened my first classique '16 earlier this year, tasted, decanted and after 2 hours poured back into the bottle to try the next day, tried the next day, corked it again and tried again the third, finally started to open up. I can only imagine how long M,T and C will take and this confirms it. '12s and '14s clasiques are drinking well now although could certainly age much longer, the '15s are not ready IMO without ample decanter time.
Interestingly, the plain “Bandol” (I think the Classique designation was dropped over a decade ago) can be even more structured than the designated wines. This was definitely the case in 16. I loved the 16 Bandol when it first came out, but haven had one since.
This inspired me to open up three rouge and two rose Tempiers on Saturday. I did’t take notes as we were entertaining but opened the '14 classique (C), Migoua (M), and Tourtine (T) horizontal in the morning, double decanted and kept in the cellar until a couple of hours prior to dinner to let them warm up. I opened '15 and '16 roses and tasted that evening, decided the '15 was still tight and decanted, the '16 was open enough. Only my wife and one friend had tried Tempier before but everyone commented that all five wines were unlike anything they tried before in a good way. The C had mellowed the most by dinner followed by the M and the T. People were split on the which they enjoyed most, I preferred the T (especially with the roast chicken and gravy), followed by the M but also really enjoyed the C. C & M would were preferable prior to supper. Slight preference of the '16 for rose but after the decant, the '15 found its balance, I probably should have decanted the '16 for a more apples to apples comparison but still fun to try side by side. FYI, didn’t drink that night but the '17 remains my favorite Tempier rose of the last five years. If anyone has extra they would be willing to part with, please let me know. Thanks.
I had the 2018 Dom. Tempier Bandol Rouge starting Friday evening last week, until lunch on Subday.
Citrus, meyer lemon, void of tartness, with mineral content. Floral. Freshness in medium-high intensity. Would not peg as a warm/hot weather fruit. Enjoyed. A-
Is that the blanc? You don’t see that very often. The two times I have had it were at a Rhone event and on a wine list, it seemed a little young, did you find that it improved Saturday and Sunday? Thanks.
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