2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose

Domaine Tempier has been the leading Bandol name for decades. Tempier's owners, the Peyraud family, almost single-handedly brought the wine world's attention to the Bandol appellation. Their wines have always been flamboyantly rich and powerful, but recent vintages have been sweeter and fleshier. Domaine Tempier offers an earthy, dense rosé with the texture of a red wine. A distinctly powerful style of rosé that matches well with grilled meats and hearty fish courses.

Kermit Lynch has been importing the Tempier rosé for over 30 years now.

Varietals: mourvedre, grenache
Color: bright orange pink. Almost golden salmon color.
Body: light, dry
Aromas: peach skins, nectarine, red currents, dried flowers, and smokey minerals.

The rosé is fermented in steel after a cold soak, then matured in vat for 6-8 months before bottling.

Tasting Notes: juicy red berries, pit fruit flavors, melons, cherry skins, and zesty minerals. Dry, focused and chewy, with strong finishing punch and lingering notes of talc-y minerals. Rated: 92 by Josh Raynolds, Jun 09 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Domaine Tempier is a place in Provence, a home with its winery and vineyards, its olive trees and cypresses. It is home to a large joyful Provencal family. It is a wine. And while it must be inadvertent, one of those fortuitous miracles that embellish existence (there is no recipe for it dispensed at wine school), there is a certain vital spirit that one imbibes with each gorgeous swallow of Domaine Tempier’s wine.

Domaine Tempier is located at Le Plan du Castellet. Its vineyards stretch over three different communities- Le Castellet, Le Beausset and La Cadière. The plots of land are thus far apart and require extra work. But the soil of these different areas yield distinctive cuvées -Spéciale, Migoua, Tourtine and Cabassaou - as well as interesting and complex blends for white, rosé and red wines.

Domaine Tempier lies in the heart of the vineyard boundaries. It already existed during the reign of King Louis XV, and the "bastide" was built on the family's property in 1834. The Domain has remained a family owned estate since 1834.
In 1885, it obtained recognition with a first gold medal.
In 1880, after the phylloxera epidemic had ruined the French wine trade, Léonie Tempier began the renewal by having her vineyard completely replanted on root-stocks, and a cellar built with wooden and cement vats. However, the 1929 crash caused the wine business to plunge; the vines were partly replaced by peach and apple trees.

With the passing of Lucien his sons, Jean-Marie and François, came to run the domaine. They have maintained the property's reputation, mixing traditional practices with new, but in the absence of a willing heir Jean-Marie and François, together with their sisters, decided to put the property in the ownership of a family-run company.

This was done in 2000, and Daniel Ravier was appointed as manager of the 35 hectare estate. Today it is Ravier that you are most likely to encounter, whether he is traveling abroad to market the wines, or working at the domaine. He continues to manage the vineyards, which range in age from 20 to 50 years, along straightforward organic lines, without fertilizer or other chemicals. The soil is ploughed to discourage weeds, and there is a green harvest to control yields which are typically 30-35 hl/ha.

The harvest is 100% manual and the fruit is fully destemmed before temperature-controlled fermentation. The reds are fermented in steel or today possibly also in concrete, these latter vats having been installed in 2007. The wines will macerate in vat and undergo malolactic and blending in tank, before spending 18-20 months in large foudres of varying size and also material, with some oak sourced from as far away as Austria. The end results, bottled without filtration or fining, are wines of interest which are, at all levels, worthy of bottle age. obtained from www.thewinedoctor.com

2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé (France, Provence, Bandol)
Orange rind, wild strawberry, minerals and salty sea breeze aromas jump from the glass of the 2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé and in the mouth, it has beautiful freshness paired with sweet fruit, a round, full texture and a long finish. While this doesn’t show the fruit of the ‘07, it’s a fantastic Rosé to drink over the next year or two. (91 pts.) The Rhone Report

2007 Preston Carignane, Dry Creek Valley

Certified Organic - Preston of Dry Creek is an organic family farm rooted in the agrarian traditions of Dry Creek Valley. They make broad and best use of their land by tending vines well suited to their distinctive terroir and creating limited production wines from the best and most interesting grapes.

One of the “old timer” grapes. The Carignane grapes come from both a 90 year-old vineyard and one planted in the early 1980’s. The resultant wine gives a dense blueberry/blackberry fruit, generous acidity, robust tannins, and a smoky, spicy finish. Sometimes the nose is teased with a bit of mineral, sometimes a barky sensation. Preston blends extensively with Carignane, but also enjoys its rough and tumble individuality as well.   The intense flavors and high acidity of Carignane compliment and refresh in partnership with fattier organ meats like liver or sweetbreads.

Lou Preston bought the first 40 acres (which had been planted in prunes and pears) off West Dry Creek Road in 1973. Today, Preston oversees organic vineyards and a wide array of complementary fruit orchards, olive trees, vegetable fields, livestock and poultry. Winery tractors burn bio-diesel (recycled vegetable oil from local restaurants) and most electrical needs are fed by an on-site solar power plant. 

Aromas: dense blackberry, blueberry, smoky, hint of minerality

Matt Norelli - Winemaker
An East Coast native, Matt Norelli first learned about winemaking from his grandfather who made wine in the basement of his home. Matt recalls his grandfather’s friends gathering around the barrels, debating the merits and flaws of each other’s wine.
At the age of twenty, Matt moved to San Francisco to pursue a career in music. Eventually, inspired by his childhood memories, he migrated north to Healdsburg, looking for a job in the wine industry. Seeking a position where he could experience the entire vine-to-wine cycle, he came work in 1987 at Preston Vineyards under the direction of winemaker Tom Farella.

Over the past ten vintages, Matt’s hands-on experience and guidance from many willing teachers at Preston - both in the vineyard and winery - exponentially increased his winemaking knowledge. “At Preston, our wines all have a sense of place, and I strive to incorporate that Dry Creek Valley mark along with the classic varietal characteristics.”

Matt continued his education with classes at Santa Rosa Junior College, and extension classes at the University of California at Davis. He tastes monthly with two groups of industry professionals. He is a member of the California Enological Research Association. Besides relaxing at home on the Russian River with friend and a bottle of wine, Matt likes to ride and restore vintage Italian motorcycles.