Bandol, France
Domaine Tempier
Domaine Tempier is a legendary Bandol producer. La Tourtine and La Migoua are the single-vineyard bottlings for which the winery has won particular acclaim. Both are imbued with tremendous spice, power and vibrancy despite being two very different wines.
Domaine Tempier is based in Le Plan du Castellet, a village in the heart of the diminutive Bandol appellation in the south of France. Situated between Marseille and Toulon, contours form a natural amphitheatre in a region where vines have been cultivated since 500 BC.
Visionary
The Tempier family have owned the property since 1834. Lucie Tempier married Lucien Peyrauds in 1936. Peyrauds managed the winery from 1941 to 1982 and was an ardent advocate of the Bandol region. It was thanks to him and other local visionaries that Bandol secured AOC status. Lucien’s sons François and Jean-Marie took over the business in 1982. The estate’s current manager is Daniel Ravier.
Mourvèdre on prime terroir
Mourvèdre is the most important grape variety at Domaine Tempier, making up 60 to 80% of every blend. The estate vineyards cover 60 hectares of land on a geological patchwork of soils. These holdings include exceptional terroirs such as La Migoua, La Tourtine and Cabassaou. Organic vineyard practices go back a long way at Domaine Tempier, with the winery currently undergoing certification to this effect.
“In 2000, the Peyraud family hired me to run the estate. That was the beginning of my personal relationship with Boucherville. Domaine Tempier has always had a limited production, but we always reserve an allocation for our Swiss friends because we know what a good job Boucherville does.”
Daniel Ravier
