Tempier's Bandol rosé might be their most famous wine, but their Bandol Rouge is actually the signature bottling at the estate. If you're one of the many Tempier rosé fans, you should absolutely get to know the "Lulu et Lucien", named for the beloved matriarch and patriarch of this iconic Provence domaine.

The rosé's greatest charm is the way it balances fresh, ripe Provençal fruit with the complexity of the clay-limestone terroir. Likewise, their Bandol Rouge is also born from the whole range of Tempier's great sites, soils and altitudes, revealing a wine of power and elegance, complexity and effortlessness. It is more powerful than the pink wine, of course, with plenty of ripe tannins and firm structure, but it presents that depth and concentration without sacrificing any of the signature Tempier elegance.

It’s so refined that it's often described as a Bandol for Burgundy lovers. Which is fair enough, as a description, though it backgrounds the main point: this is "capital B" Bandol. It's a blend of 75% Mourvèdre, with the remaining 25% a mix of Grenache, Cinsault, and Carignan. The fruit is harvested by hand, and naturally fermented over the course of 2-3 weeks in stainless steel tanks before being moved to large, neutral oak foudres for 18-20 months before bottling.

The resulting wine is pure Provence, with layers of heady, ripe black fruit and crushed herbs. It has the structure to age into something gorgeously complex and sultry over 5-15 years. It is, as Kermit says, a true grand cru de Provence. 

Domaine Tempier, Bandol Rouge 'Lulu and Lucien", 2021 $71.99
This isn't just the wine that made Tempier Tempier — it is the wine that made Bandol Bandol. Way back in the 1940s, Lucien fell in love with the old, pre-phylloxera bottles he found in the cellar. Most of the locals were tearing up their old Mourvèdre but they rallied some local growers and together they created the Bandol appellation and saved Mourvèdre from extinction.