Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Provence's generous sunshine and the
warm blast of the famous Mistral wind
make the vines here healthy and vigorous,
producing powerful red wines, as well as
the world's best rosé. All too often rosé
gets short shrift from wine lovers, who
regard it as a one-dimensional byproduct of
winemaking. That is not the case with Ban-
dol rosé; crisp, spicy, and herbaceous, it
restores your faith in rosé. And Bandol's
best rosé comes from a small, unassuming
winery a stone's throw from the Mediter-
ranean called Domaine Tempier.
A tree-lined country lane leads to
Domaine Tempier's old two-story country
house of pink, uneven walls, sky-blue win-
dow shutters, and a shady, casual court-
yard. Rickety doors hold up an arched
doorway that leads to a rustic facility of
stained concrete floors and huge circular
wooden vats. The tasting is done on a bar-
rel top, in an atmosphere that's more barn-
yard than winery.
This family-owned winery has been in
operation since 1834. In the early 20th
century, when the vine disease phylloxera
almost wiped out the fine wine industry
here, Domaine Tempier was one of the
few survivors; it is credited with reviving
the nearly extinct grape Mourvedre. Luc-
ien Peynaud, who married into the family
in the 1930s, was astounded by an old
wine served by his father-in-law at his
wedding; when he took over the vineyard,
he almost single-handedly put Bandol back
on the wine map. Strict local rules like one
bottle per vine and maturing wines for a
minimum 18 months in oak resulted in bet-
ter and better wines, as noted in gushing
reviews from wine critics.
Despite its newfound fame, Bandol will
never take on the glamour of its coastal
neighbors such as St-Tropez. This is a
relaxed and down-to-earth place, where
many wineries have a
SONNEZ
sign at their
gate, meaning that if you ring the bell you
will eventually be welcomed by the farmer/
winemaker or his wife. Domaine Tempier
shares this old-world casualness, but just
in case, always call ahead to reserve your
spot on the wine barrel.
Domaine Tempier,
Le Plan du Castel-
let (
&
33/4/9498-7021;
www.domaine-
tempier.com).
(
Marseille (46km/28 miles).
L
$$
Mas de la Tourette,
505 Chemin
des Bernard, Le Pradet (
&
33/4/9408-
1591;
www.masdelatourette.iowners.net).
$$
Mas Carol,
448 Chemin de la Calade,
Le Pradet, (
&
33/4/9431-3697;
www.
mascarol.fr).
France
323
Château Lynch-Bages
Bordeaux Opens Up
Bordeaux, France
As the gray-brown Gironde estuary snakes
southward toward Bordeaux city in the
northwestern corner of France, it splits in
two a wine region with some 7,000 winer-
ies and a winemaking tradition that dates
from medieval times. The Medoc, which
sits on the left bank of the estuary, looks
flat and featureless compared to more
picturesque parts of the province. Yet this
is ground zero for winemaking, an area
dotted with huge, castle-style châteaux
bearing such venerable names as Lafite,
Latour, and Mouton—wineries that leave
aficionados speechless. It should be a
natural mecca for the wine tourist, but
when that very same wine lover turns up
