Domaine Tempier Classique Rouge Lulu & Lucien 2021

Gifted her family's ancient vineyards as a wedding present in 1936, Lulu Tempier and her husband Lucien Peyraud were instrumental in establishing the Bandol appellation and Domaine Tempier as one of France’s great wine estates.

Lucien was a master of long-lived savoury reds majoring on the grape Mourvèdre, as well as an iconic rosé and a rare Bandol blanc, while Lulu was the genius in their kitchen and responsible for introducing the world to Provençal cooking alongside her friends food writer Richard Olney and chef Alice Waters. In turn, Tempier would become a cornerstone in Kermit Lynch’s seminal book, “Adventures on the Wine Route”.

The domaine’s flagship cuvée – recently renamed ‘Lucien & Lulu’ after the latter passed away in 2020 at the age of 102 – is the reference point for red Bandol. 

The warm 2021 vintage offers a deep core of dark fruit and powdery tannins alongside notes of Provence herbs and Mourvèdre’s quintessential savoury edge. While drinking beautifully already, especially with the local cuisine – Tempier matched with roast lamb is one of France’s top-tier pairings – it will gain further layers of complexity over the next two decades. Still just a fraction of the price of many of France’s other cult bottles, Tempier Bandol Rouge is essential drinking among artisanal wine lovers.