Tempier is the long-time standard bearer of Bandol.

Even though it's the middle of summer and we're just getting through a major heatwave, I can't help but make this offering.

The 2013 vintage for Tempier was one of the most successful that I've tasted in well over a decade.

The 2013 Classique takes the Mourvèdre fueled burly power and structure of Tempier's Bandol and renders it in nearly perfect harmony and precision. The clarity with which the wine's earthy, spice and dark fruit notes are expressed is simply gorgeous. For a wine of such unharnessed intensity it's shockingly finessed.

In many ways, this is the perfect wine to buy in half bottles. Tempier’s reds are built for the long haul, easily aging for 20 years or more. But the increased oxygen exposure in half bottles helps the wine develop faster, making it more approachable at a younger age. Don’t want to wait 20 years to enjoy this wine? Buy a half bottle!

Moreover, a wine with this much oomph is not usually what you want to start a multi-course meal with. Half bottles are perfect when pairing multiple wines with a meal.

Tempier has served as the benchmark of Bandol for well over a half-century and has a truly fascinating history. After all, it was the Tempier family that worked to establish Bandol as an official A.O.C in 1941.

Part of this effort included the revival of Bandol’s traditional grape, Mourvedre, which had been devastated by Phylloxera in the late 1800s and systematically replaced with higher yielding varieties. Lucien Peyraud, who took over Tempier when he married into the family in 1936, made it his life’s work to return Mourvedre to its former glory. The Tempier Bandol Rouge Classique is a testament to the success of that effort.

Levi Dalton's I'll Drink To That! interview with Tempier's current winemaker, Daniel Ravier, is well worth listening to for more insights into this storied domaine.

This is a very special vintage of this wine and I'm happy to offer these half-bottles with some age on them at sharp pricing. I strongly suggest that you check out one of southern France's historic domaines in top form.

To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Ian McFadden

Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits