Wine of the Month July 2006

                  Domaine Tempier Rose' (Bandol); 2005
                    (or any other Rose' from Bandol, France)

   Summer is here, and that can only mean one thing to the wine lover:  Break out the Bandol Rose'!  And be sure to serve it chilled.  For those unfamiliar with these wines, I'll give you a little background information in the next few paragraphs.  For those who think all rose' wines are uninspired, sweet, candy-apple sap for wussies,  I suggest you just keep your mouths shut and avoid embarrassing yourselves until today's lesson is completed!

   Bandol is a small town on the Mediterranean coast of the South of France(i.e., the Provence coast).  Most of the coastal areas do not produce memorable wines, but Bandol is the big exception here.  The town of Bandol has several internationally renowned wineries that produce world class reds and perhaps the best rose's in the world.  The rose's are consumed locally in Bandol, but are also popular throughout the Cote D'Azur in such fancy villages as Cannes, Nice, St. Tropez, etc.  The reason is simple.  Those southern French Mediterranean beach towns get scorching hot in the summer, and Bandol Rose's are the perfect summer beverage.  Beautifully perfumed, crisp, refreshing, and light on the tongue, yet with layers of complexity on the nose and palate.  

   Mourvedre is the grape planted most abundantly in Bandol, and forms the backbone for all the great Bandol red wines.  This mighty  grape takes on flavors and nuances in Bandol that it can not seem to achieve anywhere else.  The rose's from Bandol also utilize the wonderful mourvedre, but also blend in Grenache and Cinsault.  The pressed juice has only minimal contact time with the dark skins, and hence the rose' color.  Much of the best Bandol wine never leaves the south of France, as it is snatched up by the locals and the tourists visiting these areas, but there are a few producers who manage to export enough reds and rose's to establish a presence in the USA.  The best producers from Bandol exporting to the USA include Domaine Tempier, Chateau Pradeaux, and Domaine Ott.  All three make outstanding reds and memorable rose's.  The reds from these producers improve with a few years of bottle age, but the rose's are designed for immediate consumption.  They do not benefit from aging, and should be consumed with 2 years or so of their release.

The 2005 Domaine Tempier Rose' is a beautiful wine.  The color is an intriguing pale salmon;  not really pink per se, but not orange either.  The bouquet seems to change with every swirl of the glass.   Scents of peaches and pears quickly yield to a lovely bouquet of honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and fresh squeezed citrus.  Hidden in the bouquet is a little cilantro and spice.  The wine comes alive on the palate with vibrant acidity and a certain thirst quenching quality which is found only rarely in wine.  This very dry wine coats the palate with tastes of red berries, watermelon, and lime.  The finish is crisp, refreshing, and lingering.  The tannin in the wine has minimal presence on the palate.  The wine is designed to be served chilled, although if it is too cold you will lose some of the bouquet.

The wine stands up on it's own just fine and does not need food for enjoyability.  Nevertheless, the wine pairs extremely well with seafood, pastas, and many of the lighter summer foods that are popular.  Drink this wine with some ceviche, rare ahi tuna, or even some pasta/pesto and you will be in heaven.  For those who are culinarily gifted, prepare something zesty from your "Cuisine of Provence" style cookbook and you will have a pairing that can't miss.

This rose' wine clearly merits a four star rating.  It is available in 375 and 750ml bottles.  I got mine at the discount retailer the Wine Exchange in Orange County, through their very reliable website.  The 375 ml bottle sells at the Exchange for $13.00, and the 750ml bottle sells for about $23.00.  I have also seen the wine for a similar price at the Wine Club in Santa Ana, and they too have a very reliable web site.  If you order it on-line, expect to pay a couple bucks per bottle for shipping.  To avoid the hassle of ordering and shipping, the wine is also available at a variety of our local retailers here in San Diego, but I don't have an up to date list.  I do know they have a couple cases left at the Wine Connection in Del Mar (750ml bottles only; $29.99).  If your favorite store does not have the Domaine Tempier rose, don't panic.  You can get any Bandol rose' and you will probably do just fine.  The WineSellar and Brasserie in Sorrento Valley has the Domaine Ott rose', but I have not had the opportunity to try Ott's rose, but they are a generally reliable producer.  The Wine Sellar often has Domaine Tempier wines, so call and ask if they have the 2005 Rose'.

So when it's hot outside, do as they do on the Mediterranean coast.  They know a thing or two over there about surviving the summer heat without much air conditioning.  And if Bandol rose' is good enough for them, it ought to be good enough for us!  So put down your Pacifico Cervezas and grab some Bandol.  Cheers.

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