Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé 2025
We have 43 in stock (Inventory is live and accurate)
The Land
Bandol built its name on red Mourvèdre, yet the first wine Lucien Peyraud ever bottled at Domaine Tempier, in 1943, was a rosé. The appellation is a rough amphitheater of terraced hillsides behind the fishing port of Bandol, facing the Mediterranean and backed by limestone ridges that block cold air from the north. Mourvèdre is a late-ripening, heat-hungry grape, and this is one of the few places in France where it ripens reliably. Tempier's vineyards sit around Le Plan du Castellet, spread over roughly 50 hectares of scattered parcels, with the highest, La Migoua, reaching 270 meters. Soils are variations on clay and limestone, from sandy Santonian limestone to rudist limestone and dolomite, and the rosé draws on 13.55 hectares of them. Sea breezes and the mistral keep the fruit healthy and hold acidity through long, dry summers.
The Wine
The Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé 2025 is 55 percent Mourvèdre, 25 percent Grenache and 20 percent Cinsault, from vines averaging 20 years old. Grapes are hand-harvested. About two-thirds of the fruit is direct-pressed and the remainder gets a short skin maceration, which adds color and a little grip. The wine goes through partial malolactic fermentation, then rests six to eight months in tank, split between stainless steel and concrete, so it keeps its freshness without any oak. The 2025 Provence vintage opened with torrential May rain and heavy mildew pressure, then turned almost bone dry, with just 8mm of rain from June through August and a mid-August heatwave near 40°C that cut regional volumes by about 10 percent. Expect lemon peel and grapefruit, rhubarb, white peach, anise and wild thyme, with a saline finish. This is Bandol rosé built to age, not only to chill.
The People
The Tempier family farmed here from at least 1834. In 1936 Lucie "Lulu" Tempier married Lucien Peyraud, and in 1940 the couple settled at the domaine. Lucien spent decades campaigning for Mourvèdre and for Bandol itself, which received its AOC in 1941, and he went on to preside over the growers' association. Lulu's Provençal cooking drew chefs such as Alice Waters to the table and made Tempier a reference point for the idea of wine as part of a meal. Their sons Jean-Marie and François ran the cellar and vineyards until 2000, when Daniel Ravier took over as director. Under Ravier the estate has farmed biodynamically since 2013 and has been certified organic by Ecocert since the 2022 harvest. Kermit Lynch has imported the rosé since the 1976 vintage, and it remains the benchmark for serious rosé in Provence.
Food Pairing
This rosé is at home with the food of the Provençal coast. Serve it with bouillabaisse or a simpler fish stew with saffron, fennel and rouille, where the wine's salinity and acidity stand up to garlic and broth. Grilled sardines with lemon and olive oil give the citrus in the glass a direct partner. Pan bagnat stuffed with tuna, anchovy, egg and Niçoise olives plays salt against the Mourvèdre's structure. A roast chicken with thyme and garlic shows how much weight this rosé can carry. Keep a bottle in the fridge through fall and winter, not just summer, and open it the next time dinner smells like garlic.
We ship wine to most states with a $100 minimum order for shipping. We don't ship spirits nor beer.
Weather shipping advisory: Orders placed during times of extreme heat or extreme cold will be held for no charge until more favorable weather returns.
Certified Organic farming is an agricultural practice where vineyards adhere to strict regulations prohibiting the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers. Instead, certified organic growers rely on natural alternatives, including compost, cover crops, and beneficial insects, to nourish the soil and manage pests. Certification requires compliance with established organic standards, typically verified by third-party agencies such as USDA Organic in the United States or EU Organic in Europe. This method emphasizes ecological balance, biodiversity, and sustainability, aiming to produce high-quality grapes and wines while reducing environmental impact and promoting long-term vineyard health. Organic farming is not allowed to use Glyphosate.
