When Lucien Peyraud bottled his first wine at Domaine Tempier in 1943, it was a rose; the red Bandol that would make the estate legendary followed in 1951.
Backstory
The Tempier family has owned the estate since 1834. In 1936 Lucie Tempier married Lucien Peyraud, and the couple settled at the domaine in 1940. As president of the Bandol wine association from 1945 to 1982, Lucien became known as the spiritual father of Bandol, championing Mourvedre and winning recognition for the appellation's age-worthy reds. Their sons Jean-Marie and Francois later joined the family work.
The Region
The estate lies at Le Plan du Castellet in the Var, within the Bandol appellation on the Mediterranean coast of Provence, a land devoted to wine since antiquity.
Vineyards & Farming
Mourvedre is the estate's signature grape, with separate parcels vinified to express their individual terroirs.
Winemaking
Agricultural engineer Daniel Ravier has directed the estate since 2000, overseeing daily operations while the Peyraud family retains board oversight. The wines age in the salle des foudres, the cellar of large wooden barrels built in 1968.
The Wines
Tempier is renowned for its Bandol rose and for its single-parcel red cuvees La Tourtine, La Migoua and Cabassaou, alongside the classic Bandol Rouge.
