Similar to my last tasting note. Nose of fresh bright fruit with integrated tannins. Silky in the mouth, medium weight, with a moderate length finish. Lovely wine.
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Lovely nose, animale, liquorice, herbs, deep fruit, very fresh. Touch of oak perhaps from the new foudres?*. Mid-weight for Tempier, round but elegant. Tannins nicely integrated into the rich fresh blueberry fruit. Smooth. Finishes dry with appetising acidity. For sheer deliciousness and ageability is there a better value wine than this in the world?
*Daniel Ravier replaced several of the older ones when he arrived in 2000 and there was undoubtedly an impact on some of the wines, particularly in the weaker 02 vintage. I’m doubtful the effect would still have been noticeable in 2005, so I may be imagining this.
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-- decanted 1 hour before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over a few hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 3 --
NOSE: expressive aromas of plums and blackberries; garrigue; red licorice; and a hint of wet stones. Day 3: strong mineral note now; still some garrigue and red licorice; probably still not yet at peak.
BODY: garnet color with slight bricking throughout; color is of medium depth; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: still a bit tannic, but drinking nicely; garrigue; deep, dark cherry, of medium to medium+ concentration; a bit earthy; medium+ acidity; alc. is a touch spiky; my score feels a bit high, but I don't see where I'd score it lower, so perhaps it's best to call this a slightly-underwhelming 93, but that should not be mistaken for me saying this isn't excellent, because it is excellent. Drink now and over the next decade, perhaps even longer.
50, 5, 13, 17, 8 = 93
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This is drinking extremely well. Very mourvedre nose, love it. Leather, gamy, herbs, dark fruits. No excess of alcohol on the palate despite the powerful vintage (13%), similar aromatics. Resolved tannins. Very balanced. Sappy, bloody, gamy with plenty of dark fruits without evolving to blue fruit. Great wine.
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This lovely little classic still going strong. Possibly a tad less exciting than it was two years ago, but all-in-all a textbook expression of Mourvedre. That tell-tale garrigue on the nose, mature fruit, smoked bacon, a gamey, ferrous touch here and there. Still years in this.
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Nose: The nose is savory, nuanced, and drop dead gorgeous with black cherries, black raspberries, earth, herbs, tobacco, violets, and leather.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and medium tannin. The tannins are refined and mostly resolved with the feel being quite regal with black cherries, black raspberries, earth, tobacco, leather, herbs, and violets.
Overall This is drinking beautifully right now. It was ready to go from pop n pour and it was layered, deep, and gorgeous.
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Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of smoke, earth, plum and berries. Flavors of Bing cherries, raspberries and plums. Bright acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Difficult not to like this splendid wine. Nose is assertive, with garrigue and maybe thyme or lavender or rosemary, and some nice juicy fruit at its heart. The best thing is the body - weighty and fresh at the same time - a rare balance. Some very pleasant fruit sensations (cherries and wild strawberries) and a fantastic minerality, and then a long finish that evolves on the tongue with more spice - cloves and nutmeg. Splendid. Years left in this, and it's already 13 years old.
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This had a funky, earthy bouquet of forest floor, game, leather, raspberry, plum, herb and spice aromas. The palate was rich, elegant and dry with flavors of raspberry, plum, leather, herb and spice.
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6/6. No formal note. Dark fruit, soil, meaty tones, mostly resolved tannins, attractive fruit, decent fresh acidity, not overly deep, long or complex but a decent Sunday night accompaniment to a barbecue. Drinking well now and not sure there's much point in keeping it much longer.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over 90 minutes.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, earth, roses and red berries. Flavors of Bing cherries, red plums and a little angostura bitters on the finish. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or perhaps continue to hold. You would've thought this wine would've resolved by now.
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Pours very dark purple, with just a hint of brick around the rim. Brooding, brambly, mature nose of stewed fruit, ink, soy sauce, barnyard, and violets. Intensely flavorful but surprisingly lithe on the palate, with zesty acidity and very fine tannins framing lovely flavors of ripe berries, graphite, cigar box, and black pepper. Impressive finish goes on and on. Drinking perfectly now, but no need to hurry.
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Dark and powerful with deep notes of black fruits and undertones of a savory quality. I saved one glass for day two (pumped out the air of the bottle) and the wine became very pretty with alluring fruit and wildflowers.
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Fantastic vintage of this wine and drinking really well right now. Lots of warm fruit and earth. Powerful and balanced. A delicious way to wrap up the summer. (93)
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Improved since last bottle. Had a long side the La Tourtine 2005. Age was showing on the edge. Dark center color, tannins, good minerality and balance. Mature notes dominant. La Tourtine had of course more to offer and more time ahead of it. Medium to long finish.
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Terroir-istes International - France, Mediterranean Coast (Groot Constantia): (Tasted Blind): Mid-garnet to mahogany edges; Restrained notes offering garrigue, dried herbs, and roasted meat. The entry is juicy fruits, fresh with a slight sweetness and an herbal and rose petal character adding to its intrigue. Menthol, meat, and some olive tapenade with fennel also appear, whilst the wine has weight, mid-palate power, and crunchy acidity. It falls away at the finish but is still very enjoyable. Dense, grippy, almost granular tannins provide an edgy, sour cherry character.
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This was serious, terrific juice. It has been an age since I've had a Bandol and this made me resolve to change that. Dark color, clean profile, lots of tannins, good minerality with serious acidity, a touch of VA, and that wild Mourvèdre bouquet. Firm still with great intensity but no heaviness, medium bodied. Nice fruit but quite dry, blind I might have guessed Italian -- maybe a Super Tuscan -- given the high acidity (too high for the southern Rhone) and some slightly medicinal, mentholated notes. This is good now, but will continue to improve for at least another 5 years and might go even higher. Yum. Must get more. 92-93 pts.
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this bottle was a little tired, perhaps...Quite Pinotesque on the nose then pretty muted on the palate, it may have got kicked around a bit by the food (roast pork belly) which didn't help. On this showing the next bottle will be served with roast chicken probably.
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The 2012 showed so well, so I thought I should pull an older one. Gave it a quick decant for sediment. Youthful color dark violet. Some secondary aromatics of truffle & earth, but loads of cracked pepper & plum as well. More clove-like spices on the palate with a strong menthol note. Blackberries & plums emerge quickly on the mid palate. Structure is still intact & this has years ahead of it. Developing Bordeaux- like qualities as it ages.
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decanted 45 min. dark red-maroon, to clear red at rim; dairy pasture, quite earthy, porcini, aged leather, animal; med+ body; dusty, dried plum & currants, earth & saddle leather, garrigue & a bit rustic still, maybe forever; tannins ebbed & flowed, as well as astringent acidity. really good to drink after a sequence of more refined(?) bottles over the previous few evenings. can age 5 - 10 more years readily.
Smells like grilled broccoli. In the best way. And then a lush mid palate. And then a powerful, muscular mourvedre finish. Quite a wine. Just starting to enter the drinking window. Glad I waited. Wow is the nose amazing - roses, violets, black charred earth. Just opened. Magical.
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Took some time to open - initially upon opening this wine is very barnyard - don't think it's brett, but it's feral for sure! After an hour or so the nose is grilled bread, smoked meat, red hots spice, decent fruit but its all overwhelmed by secondary notes being primary on the nose...medium-bodied, dried/baked red fruit, meaty/smoky, leather, tannins are close to being resolved, layers of complexity...the finish is long, the wine feels older than it actually is. Not having had this since the beginning, I'd have to say it's in a good place now. Not flashy but plenty complex for $27.
Closed nose, with a hint of dry mushroom. Mouth bonish, no flesh, strange dryness. Short length. This is not what Tempier can do. Difficult to accuse the cork. Flawed I think, or can it be this strange vintage ?
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Beautiful deep red. Typical Tempier nose of red fruit, leather and oyster shells. A rich yet balanced – a warm-hearted wine. I really like the Tempier style. (92)
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Medium/deep ruby core, medium pale ruby rim. The nose shows meaty dark fruit, a touch of Brett and earth. Full bodied on the palate, a mouthful of meaty dark fruit, notes of horse and smoke, soft tannins, balanced acidity, reasonable depth and a medium/good length finish. Very good, drinking well, should be fine for another 3-5 years.
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Dark ruby. Somewhat muted nose with lactic notes, red and black berry fruit and hints of spices and herbs. Medium-bodied with firm, somewhat stiff tannins and high acidity. Medium aftertaste. Rounder and more expressive on day 2. Very good but not special.
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Music and Wine at Rasoul's Part 1 (Vancouver, BC): This had a much different nose than the Ch. de Pibarnon, with its more rustic iron profile nose with notes of red fruits compared to the darker fruits of the Pibarnon and hints of green tobacco. Dusty tannins with dark raspberry and iron flavours. Definitely not as polished as the Pibarnon. Hard to pick a favorite. Very good.
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No formal notes, as I drank this a week or so ago, but this was very nice all the same. Lots of garrigue and barnyard, and quite dry - needs some air or a good long decant. Wish I had more.
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A quieter, more subtle Tempier than I'm used to. The florals and red fruit on the nose mingle nicely with some earthy tones - very elegant altogether. The palate is medium-bodied with a red fruit core combined with subtle dried tobacco, cedar, and earthy notes. I like Bandol with a couple years on it...for me, young Mourvedre can be a bit too hot and extracted. This is drinking in a great place.
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Rob's Leaving for Jakarta Lunch (Hawksmoor, Guildhall, London): Not the same intensity and purity of fruit on the nose as the previous two wines, with bilberry fruit, earth and hints of game and the farm. This is full bodied, but only of medium depth on the palate, with meaty bilberry fruit on the mid-palate giving way to some still quite firm tannins on the medium/good length finish. However it retains sufficient acidity to be reasonably balanced overall. Interesting and pretty good, but patently lacking the depth and class of the previous two wines. As per my last note lacks the depth of fruit for the very long-term. Now to 2015ish.
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Exceptional. Let it open for an hour, and this is phenomenal old world stuff, evocative of fields of lavender and social grace. Another classic sunset wine, fit to toast the living and the ancestors. Silky anisette with undertones of old cherries and young plum.
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Man what a difference a couple years makes....this is drinking extremely well right now! Love the tar, leather, licorice, raspberry and plum.....still plenty of structure to age well....perfect wine to take to dinner for the wife's bday!
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focus and great depth . showing well. barnyard nose and good acidity with tannins. leather, smoke and tea with cherry. great food wine an went well with bacon dish.; served along with Denner '09 and Tablas Creek '07 Mourvedre. went best with meal and favored by European stylists.
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I have been looking forward to trying the first of my 2005 Tempier Bandol for some time and tonight was the night. Bandol is not a wine that I have found generally available from my regular wine sources so it is a wine I tend to pick from local bistro's wine lists and always enjoy. This bottle lived up to my pleasant recollection of past bistro meals. It is still young, but mature enough to enjoy. It had strong tannins that were modestly rough but still reasonably integrated and not unpleasant. Leather, smoke, earth, cherry fruit. Wonderful bouquet. Whenever I get the chance, I will add Bandol to my cellar.
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From a mid-week half. Pulled 'n' poured. Dark; muffled fruit, plummy, signs of old leather; much more on the palate, real depth & intensity, meaty tannins, fleshy but none of that faux polish & moderne brashness; vigorous finish. All of one piece with every prospect of further development.
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In the bouquet ripe dark fruits and a bit dusty impressions. Very juicy on the palate with good red as well as black forest fruits. A little bit drying in the finish. Still youthful. Probably needs a few more years to fully show what it has in store. 88 for now and I am almost certain it will add a few points after a few more years of ageing.
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The 05's here have always had very bright acidity. Upon release, they were nice slightly chilled to accompany fish or octopus, as most young Tempiers are. Then they seemed to enter a rebellious stage and drinking them was not overly enjoyable. This bottle shows a marked improvement. Still, not a full bodied style by any means, but starting to develop outstanding aromatics. Really delicious. Drank this alongside the 04, two very different styles, both fantastic. As much as I love the hearty 04, this 05 was really intriguing to me and was very much enjoyed. I think it still needs a couple more years. I haven't visited the 05 single vineyards recently, but would think they too will come around nicely with extended bottle age. I think in the future, these 05's will pleasantly surprise a lot of folks.
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Dark, clear garnet. Nose of smoke, leather, and dark fruit. Medium palate of tart blackberry, black cherry, earth, and bacon. Good length. Pleasant acidity. Grippy tannins. Nice balace. Very good, not excellent. Pretty accessible, but structured to last many years.
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This bottle was very open and expressive. Medium body and structure. Nice tannin that is firm but not too drying, some Mourvedre funk. Would have guessed this would be shut down, but it is drinking very well right now.
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Blind tasted, decanted for 10 hours. Nice dark color with red borders. Nose with dark fruits and leather, coffee, graphite, and coal touch. Mouth quite short, fruits are present but shy. Tannins alive. A style very different than the 2004. My personnal answer is decanted really to much. What ever, 2005 is not to open now !
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Decanted and poured, this wine continued its frustrating development path. This wine on release did show well on a couple of occasions; however, other bottles (tasted around the same time) showed disjointed characteristics and unevenness. This bottle shows the initial signs of maturity with what forward fruit existed in the past relegated to the background and mature aromatics coming forth. The medium/full bodied palate shows a firm but balanced profile. Based on multiple experiences with this wine, it is not likely to improve with additional bottle age.
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Interesting wine a wonderful nose. Notes of herbs dominate the nose. Very dark color. On the palette, the wine is interesting and different. Tastes like a tomato plant. Yet, it is not fun to drink. It really should be drunk with food.
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Dark red. Nose of tomato plant, sweet tobacco, stables, olive a la grecque and black cherries. Nice smooth mouthfeel. Further positive development on day 2.
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Powerful stuff - almost black and clearly a young un'. However had this in a half and popped and poured. Liquorice, black fruits, surrounded by oak and backed up by a good dose of acidity. enjoyable, and would do well with a spiced stew or tagine, full of mediterranean sun. Definately a keeper, but good all the same. 89+
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Had for dinner at the Town House Grill in SWVA. Double decanted for 2 hours and consumed over 2 hours. Nose of mixed raspberries, graphite, forest soil, smoke. Palate of mixed raspberries, licorice, graphite, herbs, spice. The finish was above average in length and the balance of the wine was good. The front and mid palate of the wine became more open as the night progressed, but the back end still was shut down with the heavy tannin/acidity. The tannins were also a little bitter, but that should improve with time. Good qpr. Hold. 50+5+11+16+8
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This is the simplest cuvee of this very good Domaine. The wine has just reached maturity plateau. Offers ripe red fruit, cured meat notes, red fruit and cedar wood. Medium bodied. Balanced and with good finish. Well made wine but not the heights the special cuvees can reach.
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This bottle was decanted and poured. This wine continues to show a stern and unyielding personality. The reticent aromatics demonstrate black fruits, smoke, tar and rock notes; however, even with airing they fail to evolve or become more accessible. The color is a dark ruby to almost black that is correct for the wines age. The austere palate shows initially shows firmness that only softens slightly with airing. The tannins give this wine a stern, structured impression. All the components are here for this wine to improve with bottle age; however, unlike some of the other recent vintages of this wine, it lacks the forward accessibility when young.
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Decanted an hour, funky' in your face wine that really complements funky, in our face foods very well. A food wine, not an intellectual wine, rough and tumble with briar and fruit. Drinking well now, several years left.
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Medium ruby core, medium pale ruby rim. Ripe bilberry and blackberry fruit on the nose, moderate intensity with notes of meat, pepper and earth. Medium full bodied, but relatively fresh and light with keen acidity, with moderate to good depth of fruit not quite covering some firm, slightly furry tannins. Some attractive savoury bilberry and red berry fruit, notes of earth, medium - good length slightly firm, dry finish. Good with lamb chops. Not sure this has the depth of fruit to be a real long-term keeper? 13.5%ABV
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11-14% alc (as stated on bottle)...plain and simple, the wine needs some decanting...on the nose, after approx. an hour the wine explodes on the nose, loads of leather, earth, spice, garrigue, tar - reminds me of complex Rhone wines where the fruit isn't first, second or third expression, the fruit appears at the last bit of the nose...on the palate this wine is singing and in perfect balance, fine structure - for drinking now, not necessarily long aging - great fine tannins, great acidity, long, long, long finish of dried red fruits, leather, herbs, dried cherry. A fine, pleasing wine. Complex, yes. The only issue with aging longer for me is how much further will the fruit continue to dry out? Ready to go and frankly, I'll drink mine with barbecue this summer.
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This sinewy, well-structured wine, filled with raspberry fruit, earth, spice and herbs proved to be an inspired complement to a pungent, flavor-crazy haunch of roasted wild hog, served with a big bowl of bitter, garlicy rappini and a few loaves of bread. A nice Bandol to drink young.
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Muted nose and quite tannic on opening. Needs air to soften up a bit and start showing anything beyond simple fruit. Eventually complexity emerges: herbs, dirt, etc. Not bretty – clean relative to some other past vintages.
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Extremely solid, great with pasta with meat sauce. Earthy nose, with cassis, tart raspberry and forest floor aromas. In the mouth, bright and refreshing, it was an awesome bottle.
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Can it be that the wild and woolly wines of Domaine Tempier have been tamed? Where is the funk, the garrigue, the brambly tannic edge of the Tempier Bandol of memory? Compare this wine to the 1998 Tempier Bandol, or even the 1993, and the 2005 is more forward and supple than these older wines are today, far "cleaner," and thus far less interesting. Is it the 2005 vintage, or just a change in style? I hope not the latter. This is very sound, well made, good quality wine, ripe and immediately appealing. But "sound" wines are a dime a dozen. Domaine Tempier has always been about quirks and character and soul. It was not for the faint of heart. You wouldn't pour it for your California Merlot loving friends. This wine, I shudder at the thought, might suit them just fine.
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Surprisingly pretty accessible. Loved the nose with briny notes, raspberry, spiced cherries and touch of iron. Light to med body backed up by med acidity, tannins are present but not agressive at all, pure and focused, again plenty of cherry notes and raspberry with a nice earthiness. Med+ finish. Very nice overall, will certainly improve with a few years in the cellar but for midterm consumption.
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This drank very nicely, though young and a touch tight. It took about an hour for the nose to awaken, and it never will be, say, a cali pinot on the nose. Still, nice subtle dark fruits (plum), tiny hint of mint and a nice deep earth/loam note. On the palate, well balanced with great acidity and a long finish. There's minerality and the same notes of dark fruit and a tang of iron.
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The South of France (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had manure, leather, and blackberry. The palate had a lot of herbs, along with blackberry, leather, and an earthy finish.
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This tasted very dull first off, so much so that I decided to open a claret instead and use this to deglaze the pan. But returning to it later, it was transformed - fragrant, almost floral, sparking lifted red fruits, quite burgundian in fact
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John and AC's -- showing a bit closed now, after an hour it opened up. But a wonderful, sleek red with loads of concentrated fruit and a dark chocolate element. Needs time, but nothing to throw off the table today!
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Medium ruby. Pretty clean for Tempier with camphor aromas. Bracing entry due to brisk acidity. Light to medium bodied with blackberry fruit and substantial tannins. This is lean and definitely grippy, but it has enough stuffing to fall short of being mean. Hardly charming right now, this will need time, but this is par for the course with this producer.
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A fairly vivid youthful purple colour and showing good extraction. Already thrown a reasonable level of sediment, so needs decanting. Nose was pretty closed at first but hints of raspberriers after a hour. To taste, soft and silky and amazing purity of fruit. Ripe fruit but not overdone. Not obvious tannin showing at all making this a pleasant wine to drink young. No funk or sauvage character at all but distinct raspberries after it has been in the decanter for an hour and a half. A bit soft in the mid-palate but a nice finish.
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Ruby with medium saturation. Blackberry and pine needle aromatics. Raspy, lean core with tart finish and drying tannins. This tastes as though it came from underripe grapes, and it is tight and frankly unappealing at the moment.
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This wine has been tasted on a couple of occasions since its release and has been variable from one tasting to the next. This wine was decanted and poured. It showed well but not up to expectations. Another bottle tasted last June showed very well. A bottle tasted a few months later showed well but demonstrated signs of closing down. This bottle showed an even more closed profile. There is balance here, but the forward, primary fruit was lacking reducing the overall pleasure of the wine. Hopefully this will show better with some additional bottle age.
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A bit dry and austere - dried cherries, bitter plums, leather, spice, roasted earth, herbs de Provence. Effortless and balanced on the palate with plenty of garrigue. Finish clamps down with acid and tannin. Give it a 6-10 year slumber, this is another classic Tempier. Wonderful as always and extremely hard to beat for $32.
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Another good showing for this wine. This has improved since release. A bottle tasted a in June showed slightly better. This is not as forward and accessible as the 2004. The bouquet showed grilled meats, black fruits and earth notes. The color is correct for its age. The medium-full bodied palate shows good depth and concentration with tannins and acidity giving a good amount of youthful grip. The evolution of this wine will be fun to watch.
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Drank in Downieville, CA. This wine showed well. This is the best showing of this wine since its release. However, it lacks the completeness of the 2004 Tempier Bandol. Overall it shows dried herbs and black fruits on the bouquet. It is a dark red to almost black youthful color. The medium - full bodied palate combines the herb and black fruits with earth notes. The wine has good acidity and tannin structure. Based on tasting this wine a number of times since its release, it has the potential to continue to improve for many years.
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Warm Weather Wines (Farpointe Cellar): A nice nose of cedar, blackberry, blueberry, and plum. The palate had blackberry pie, a bit of cedar, and a spice and cream finish.
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Blackberries, black currant and light earthy aromas, deep red color, very expressive brooding red fruit flavors and a little smoke, with a high tannin level. Will definitely be more interesting in at least 5 or so years. 88-92
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WSET Blind Practice Session (Berkeley, CA): Medium ruby purple color, lightening at the rim. Medium(+) tears. Lifted nose, seems youthful and primary. Lifted aromas of red and blue fruit, spice, slight vegetal, floral, touch of rubbing alcohol. There's also a component reminiscent of citric acid coated sour gummy worms. Dry on the palate with medium(+) acidity and coarse, chalky medium(-) tannins. Despite the nose, alcohol does not come through on the palate. Medium(-) body, medium flavor intensity, with liqueur like tart red and blue fruits and earth. Quality is acceptable to good, i guessed a price of $15 to $20 but had no idea what this was. Not recommended; seems rather light in body and concentration for a Tempier Bandol, though i prefer this to the jammy, over the top 2004. Tasted blind.
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Well.....not like the 2004! This wine is very tight...not really showing much. Dark cherry, sour plum, currant fruit...shows tar funk, raspberry chipotle sauce, green tobacco leaves, blood iron. Really closed, no floralness like I like in these.....NEEDS TIME!
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From half bottle. Served at 62 degrees. Second time with this one. Dense nose of black raspberry fruit, tar, earth, charcoal, spices and dried flowers. More of the same on the palate, with lingering sauvage notes of animal, blood and scorched earth. This is burly, gutsy, honest stuff - real wine here. Delicious.
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going to be a darn good vintage for tempier...opened in bottle only approx90 min before consuming and this wine was already giving secondary flavors of meat and earth...still huge but giving indications to come of this wine and I am sure its vineyard specific siblings.
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very dark red. Big nose of dark red fruits, leather blood and spice. Big wine, clenched very tight as present, balanced with fine acids and tannins, but not all that pleasant to drink now. Softened a little the second day, but still tight. Will be very nice with time. Try again about 2013.
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Deep and dark in color. This wine is a true beauty. It is another stellar vintage for Tempier. The nose is loaded with tons of different stuff starting with a touch of manuer, followed by dark fruits; cherries, blackberries. It also has some good herbal characteristics (herb de Provence). The body of the wine is big with great acid to counter those crazy tannins. This is a wine that will live on and on forever and ever!!!!!!!!! I love it. Simply the kind of juice that warms my heart. The finish is long and a tiny bit bitter, remenicent of black olives. Recommended drinking: 2009-2018. Baring in mind all the crazy stories from Kermit Lynch's "Inspiering Thirst" I would not be surprised if it lived for much, much longer. Recommended food paring: simple food, a great steak accompanied by sides with flavors of Provence (eggplant, tamatoes, zucchini, thyme, garlic, etc.) Great, Great Stuff!!!!!
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Nose has a briny, clam-like aspect that transports me back to a Maine lobster shack; palate is less interesting and somewhat indistinct at this point--dark fruits is the best I can come up with; tannins are prominent. This wine has potential but I suspect it will fall short of the 2004.
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Tried this at a retailer tasting. Dark red, fleshy and medium to full bodied with savoury flavours of meat, earth and leather over red fruits. Firm, grippy tannins underneath the fruit with a medium length finish showing a tinge of alcoholic warmth.
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2/10/2024 - quickben Likes this wine: 93 Points
So good now the tannins have softened but still has had that dark bramble fruit to make this pure joy.
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10/31/2023 - spv wrote: 93 Points
A gem - well put-together. At a really good place - glad I held onto this one for a few years!
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1/23/2023 - oldcorke Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well now.. balanced & well developed. Could improve a little more thru 4-5 next years. Excellent with beef.
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7/31/2022 - MLR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to my last tasting note. Nose of fresh bright fruit with integrated tannins. Silky in the mouth, medium weight, with a moderate length finish. Lovely wine.
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2/8/2022 - jamesabdavis wrote:
Lovely nose, animale, liquorice, herbs, deep fruit, very fresh. Touch of oak perhaps from the new foudres?*.
Mid-weight for Tempier, round but elegant. Tannins nicely integrated into the rich fresh blueberry fruit. Smooth.
Finishes dry with appetising acidity.
For sheer deliciousness and ageability is there a better value wine than this in the world?
*Daniel Ravier replaced several of the older ones when he arrived in 2000 and there was undoubtedly an impact on some of the wines, particularly in the weaker 02 vintage. I’m doubtful the effect would still have been noticeable in 2005, so I may be imagining this.
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6/17/2021 - MLR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful nose including violets and the mouth feel is silky with fresh fruits.
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2/2/2021 - grafstrb wrote: 93 Points
-- decanted 1 hour before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a few hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 3 --
NOSE: expressive aromas of plums and blackberries; garrigue; red licorice; and a hint of wet stones. Day 3: strong mineral note now; still some garrigue and red licorice; probably still not yet at peak.
BODY: garnet color with slight bricking throughout; color is of medium depth; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: still a bit tannic, but drinking nicely; garrigue; deep, dark cherry, of medium to medium+ concentration; a bit earthy; medium+ acidity; alc. is a touch spiky; my score feels a bit high, but I don't see where I'd score it lower, so perhaps it's best to call this a slightly-underwhelming 93, but that should not be mistaken for me saying this isn't excellent, because it is excellent. Drink now and over the next decade, perhaps even longer.
50, 5, 13, 17, 8 = 93
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1/20/2021 - french16 wrote:
This is drinking extremely well. Very mourvedre nose, love it. Leather, gamy, herbs, dark fruits. No excess of alcohol on the palate despite the powerful vintage (13%), similar aromatics. Resolved tannins. Very balanced. Sappy, bloody, gamy with plenty of dark fruits without evolving to blue fruit.
Great wine.
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7/13/2020 - ricard Likes this wine: 92 Points
This lovely little classic still going strong. Possibly a tad less exciting than it was two years ago, but all-in-all a textbook expression of Mourvedre. That tell-tale garrigue on the nose, mature fruit, smoked bacon, a gamey, ferrous touch here and there. Still years in this.
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11/18/2019 - mtaczak Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a great place, tannins starting to melt but still a nice core of sweet fruit. All in balance. Drink!
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1/21/2019 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Nose: The nose is savory, nuanced, and drop dead gorgeous with black cherries, black raspberries, earth, herbs, tobacco, violets, and leather.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and medium tannin. The tannins are refined and mostly resolved with the feel being quite regal with black cherries, black raspberries, earth, tobacco, leather, herbs, and violets.
Overall This is drinking beautifully right now. It was ready to go from pop n pour and it was layered, deep, and gorgeous.
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9/22/2018 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93
Tasted non blind.
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of smoke, earth, plum and berries. Flavors of Bing cherries, raspberries and plums. Bright acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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5/27/2018 - ricard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Difficult not to like this splendid wine. Nose is assertive, with garrigue and maybe thyme or lavender or rosemary, and some nice juicy fruit at its heart. The best thing is the body - weighty and fresh at the same time - a rare balance. Some very pleasant fruit sensations (cherries and wild strawberries) and a fantastic minerality, and then a long finish that evolves on the tongue with more spice - cloves and nutmeg. Splendid. Years left in this, and it's already 13 years old.
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2/11/2018 - garambler Likes this wine: 90 Points
This had a funky, earthy bouquet of forest floor, game, leather, raspberry, plum, herb and spice aromas. The palate was rich, elegant and dry with flavors of raspberry, plum, leather, herb and spice.
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8/1/2017 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
At 10 Cases: - this is in a really good place - a bit of funk and game, but fresh and perfumed - very attractive.
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6/18/2017 - Paul D wrote: 86 Points
6/6. No formal note. Dark fruit, soil, meaty tones, mostly resolved tannins, attractive fruit, decent fresh acidity, not overly deep, long or complex but a decent Sunday night accompaniment to a barbecue. Drinking well now and not sure there's much point in keeping it much longer.
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4/11/2017 - khmark7 wrote: 90 Points
Elegant with loads of graphite & tar and some pretty fruit still expressing itself. Tannins are resolved.
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3/23/2017 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over 90 minutes.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, earth, roses and red berries. Flavors of Bing cherries, red plums and a little angostura bitters on the finish. Medium acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with air or perhaps continue to hold. You would've thought this wine would've resolved by now.
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2/22/2017 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - 2017 part two (Kennards, Waterloo): From Coravin. Red berry, red currant, slight tobacco leaf, leather and earth. In a good spot.
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2/20/2017 - Connecticut Wino Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pours very dark purple, with just a hint of brick around the rim. Brooding, brambly, mature nose of stewed fruit, ink, soy sauce, barnyard, and violets. Intensely flavorful but surprisingly lithe on the palate, with zesty acidity and very fine tannins framing lovely flavors of ripe berries, graphite, cigar box, and black pepper. Impressive finish goes on and on. Drinking perfectly now, but no need to hurry.
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1/29/2017 - Adonisd1956 wrote:
Unfortunately it was corked
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12/4/2016 - CADomer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark and powerful with deep notes of black fruits and undertones of a savory quality. I saved one glass for day two (pumped out the air of the bottle) and the wine became very pretty with alluring fruit and wildflowers.
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9/18/2016 - olemski wrote: 90 Points
Ink, flowers and blueberries. Finely integrated wine in a slightly understated style.
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9/11/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic vintage of this wine and drinking really well right now. Lots of warm fruit and earth. Powerful and balanced. A delicious way to wrap up the summer. (93)
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6/13/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
Black fruit kissed deeply by the sun. What's not to love about this? Gorgeous pure fruit - drinking perfectly today. (93)
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6/2/2016 - wineguru57@yahoo.com.au Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark/Black fruit, some acceptable VA, almost raisin fruit, thick tannins, very complex, with long palate
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3/13/2016 - Buick455 wrote: 92 Points
Improved since last bottle. Had a long side the La Tourtine 2005. Age was showing on the edge. Dark center color, tannins, good minerality and balance. Mature notes dominant. La Tourtine had of course more to offer and more time ahead of it. Medium to long finish.
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10/5/2015 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 89 Points
Terroir-istes International - France, Mediterranean Coast (Groot Constantia): (Tasted Blind): Mid-garnet to mahogany edges; Restrained notes offering garrigue, dried herbs, and roasted meat.
The entry is juicy fruits, fresh with a slight sweetness and an herbal and rose petal character adding to its intrigue. Menthol, meat, and some olive tapenade with fennel also appear, whilst the wine has weight, mid-palate power, and crunchy acidity. It falls away at the finish but is still very enjoyable. Dense, grippy, almost granular tannins provide an edgy, sour cherry character.
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8/14/2015 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
This was serious, terrific juice. It has been an age since I've had a Bandol and this made me resolve to change that. Dark color, clean profile, lots of tannins, good minerality with serious acidity, a touch of VA, and that wild Mourvèdre bouquet. Firm still with great intensity but no heaviness, medium bodied. Nice fruit but quite dry, blind I might have guessed Italian -- maybe a Super Tuscan -- given the high acidity (too high for the southern Rhone) and some slightly medicinal, mentholated notes. This is good now, but will continue to improve for at least another 5 years and might go even higher. Yum. Must get more. 92-93 pts.
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7/19/2015 - chatters wrote:
this bottle was a little tired, perhaps...Quite Pinotesque on the nose then pretty muted on the palate, it may have got kicked around a bit by the food (roast pork belly) which didn't help. On this showing the next bottle will be served with roast chicken probably.
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7/16/2015 - chatters wrote: flawed
Massive Cork taint. Tasted like someone had stuck some bad cork in a metallic beaker full of red berry juice. Very sad. FLAW
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6/21/2015 - Anthony Lombardi Likes this wine: 96 Points
The 2012 showed so well, so I thought I should pull an older one. Gave it a quick decant for sediment. Youthful color dark violet. Some secondary aromatics of truffle & earth, but loads of cracked pepper & plum as well. More clove-like spices on the palate with a strong menthol note. Blackberries & plums emerge quickly on the mid palate. Structure is still intact & this has years ahead of it. Developing Bordeaux- like qualities as it ages.
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5/9/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 90 Points
Slow oxed 2 hours prior. Just delightful with dusty, earthyness and wonderful fruit and depth. Really in a nice place and ready to go at this point.
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3/3/2015 - pigdaddy wrote: 89 Points
decanted 45 min. dark red-maroon, to clear red at rim; dairy pasture, quite earthy, porcini, aged leather, animal; med+ body; dusty, dried plum & currants, earth & saddle leather, garrigue & a bit rustic still, maybe forever; tannins ebbed & flowed, as well as astringent acidity. really good to drink after a sequence of more refined(?) bottles over the previous few evenings. can age 5 - 10 more years readily.
roast pork loin, crushed fennel seed, thyme & red pepper flake, pan juices w/grainy mustard & tomato jam; creamy grits & collard greens
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9/27/2014 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth, well balanced.
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9/18/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Smells like grilled broccoli. In the best way. And then a lush mid palate. And then a powerful, muscular mourvedre finish. Quite a wine. Just starting to enter the drinking window. Glad I waited. Wow is the nose amazing - roses, violets, black charred earth. Just opened. Magical.
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8/29/2014 - CO CHRIS wrote:
Took some time to open - initially upon opening this wine is very barnyard - don't think it's brett, but it's feral for sure! After an hour or so the nose is grilled bread, smoked meat, red hots spice, decent fruit but its all overwhelmed by secondary notes being primary on the nose...medium-bodied, dried/baked red fruit, meaty/smoky, leather, tannins are close to being resolved, layers of complexity...the finish is long, the wine feels older than it actually is. Not having had this since the beginning, I'd have to say it's in a good place now. Not flashy but plenty complex for $27.
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8/8/2014 - dead puddle wrote: flawed
Closed nose, with a hint of dry mushroom. Mouth bonish, no flesh, strange dryness. Short length. This is not what Tempier can do. Difficult to accuse the cork. Flawed I think, or can it be this strange vintage ?
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6/23/2014 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful deep red. Typical Tempier nose of red fruit, leather and oyster shells. A rich yet balanced – a warm-hearted wine. I really like the Tempier style. (92)
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12/28/2013 - WDSteers wrote: 94 Points
coming into its own now. the funky nose of mouvedre but now ripe fruit , licorice and lavender.
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10/23/2013 - RR47 wrote: 87 Points
Not much here, some red fruit, little complexity.
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9/11/2013 - rwerner Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank without decanting. Lots of tannis on the finish,leather, barnyard, earthy flavors.
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8/17/2013 - Biglama Likes this wine: 91 Points
dierlijk, stal in de neus, smaak is zacht en heel vriendelijk, mooie eetwijn
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8/6/2013 - Paul D wrote: 86 Points
Medium/deep ruby core, medium pale ruby rim. The nose shows meaty dark fruit, a touch of Brett and earth. Full bodied on the palate, a mouthful of meaty dark fruit, notes of horse and smoke, soft tannins, balanced acidity, reasonable depth and a medium/good length finish. Very good, drinking well, should be fine for another 3-5 years.
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5/16/2013 - Yiannis wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby. Somewhat muted nose with lactic notes, red and black berry fruit and hints of spices and herbs. Medium-bodied with firm, somewhat stiff tannins and high acidity. Medium aftertaste. Rounder and more expressive on day 2. Very good but not special.
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8/28/2012 - godx wrote: 89 Points
Music and Wine at Rasoul's Part 1 (Vancouver, BC): This had a much different nose than the Ch. de Pibarnon, with its more rustic iron profile nose with notes of red fruits compared to the darker fruits of the Pibarnon and hints of green tobacco. Dusty tannins with dark raspberry and iron flavours. Definitely not as polished as the Pibarnon. Hard to pick a favorite. Very good.
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8/12/2012 - Chateaunole-du-Pape wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes, as I drank this a week or so ago, but this was very nice all the same. Lots of garrigue and barnyard, and quite dry - needs some air or a good long decant. Wish I had more.
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4/22/2012 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
A quieter, more subtle Tempier than I'm used to. The florals and red fruit on the nose mingle nicely with some earthy tones - very elegant altogether. The palate is medium-bodied with a red fruit core combined with subtle dried tobacco, cedar, and earthy notes. I like Bandol with a couple years on it...for me, young Mourvedre can be a bit too hot and extracted. This is drinking in a great place.
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3/28/2012 - Paul D wrote: 85 Points
Rob's Leaving for Jakarta Lunch (Hawksmoor, Guildhall, London): Not the same intensity and purity of fruit on the nose as the previous two wines, with bilberry fruit, earth and hints of game and the farm. This is full bodied, but only of medium depth on the palate, with meaty bilberry fruit on the mid-palate giving way to some still quite firm tannins on the medium/good length finish. However it retains sufficient acidity to be reasonably balanced overall. Interesting and pretty good, but patently lacking the depth and class of the previous two wines. As per my last note lacks the depth of fruit for the very long-term. Now to 2015ish.
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3/17/2012 - JayPKay wrote: 92 Points
Exceptional. Let it open for an hour, and this is phenomenal old world stuff, evocative of fields of lavender and social grace. Another classic sunset wine, fit to toast the living and the ancestors. Silky anisette with undertones of old cherries and young plum.
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1/21/2012 - Mrbuzz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Man what a difference a couple years makes....this is drinking extremely well right now! Love the tar, leather, licorice, raspberry and plum.....still plenty of structure to age well....perfect wine to take to dinner for the wife's bday!
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12/24/2011 - Buick455 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour, but should have had more. Very pleasant, lot of grip/tanins - young. Give next bottle at least 3 years.
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12/21/2011 - WDSteers wrote: 92 Points
focus and great depth . showing well. barnyard nose and good acidity with tannins. leather, smoke and tea with cherry. great food wine an went well with bacon dish.; served along with Denner '09 and Tablas Creek '07 Mourvedre. went best with meal and favored by European stylists.
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12/10/2011 - le fouloir wrote: 93 Points
I have been looking forward to trying the first of my 2005 Tempier Bandol for some time and tonight was the night. Bandol is not a wine that I have found generally available from my regular wine sources so it is a wine I tend to pick from local bistro's wine lists and always enjoy. This bottle lived up to my pleasant recollection of past bistro meals. It is still young, but mature enough to enjoy. It had strong tannins that were modestly rough but still reasonably integrated and not unpleasant. Leather, smoke, earth, cherry fruit. Wonderful bouquet. Whenever I get the chance, I will add Bandol to my cellar.
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10/20/2011 - eporres wrote: 91 Points
One of my favorite Provence producers. Dark fruit, meaty, aromatic, touch of soil and olives. Nice.
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9/28/2011 - chbeaumont Likes this wine: 91 Points
From a mid-week half. Pulled 'n' poured. Dark; muffled fruit, plummy, signs of old leather; much more on the palate, real depth & intensity, meaty tannins, fleshy but none of that faux polish & moderne brashness; vigorous finish. All of one piece with every prospect of further development.
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8/7/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Slow ox for 4 hours. Very expressive and great aromatics. Drinking well but should mellow some more in 2-3 years.
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7/6/2011 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
In the bouquet ripe dark fruits and a bit dusty impressions. Very juicy on the palate with good red as well as black forest fruits. A little bit drying in the finish. Still youthful. Probably needs a few more years to fully show what it has in store. 88 for now and I am almost certain it will add a few points after a few more years of ageing.
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6/26/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 93 Points
Great nose and while tannins are present, not overly aggressive. Nice smoke and meat, touch of earth. Just great but likely better in a year or two.
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6/13/2011 - BobJohnson1 wrote:
The 05's here have always had very bright acidity. Upon release, they were nice slightly chilled to accompany fish or octopus, as most young Tempiers are. Then they seemed to enter a rebellious stage and drinking them was not overly enjoyable. This bottle shows a marked improvement. Still, not a full bodied style by any means, but starting to develop outstanding aromatics. Really delicious. Drank this alongside the 04, two very different styles, both fantastic. As much as I love the hearty 04, this 05 was really intriguing to me and was very much enjoyed. I think it still needs a couple more years. I haven't visited the 05 single vineyards recently, but would think they too will come around nicely with extended bottle age. I think in the future, these 05's will pleasantly surprise a lot of folks.
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5/29/2011 - Buffalo27 wrote: 87 Points
Surprisingly fruity yet balanced. Almost like California. Thank you Kermit lynch!
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4/2/2011 - Wink wrote: 89 Points
Dark, clear garnet. Nose of smoke, leather, and dark fruit. Medium palate of tart blackberry, black cherry, earth, and bacon. Good length. Pleasant acidity. Grippy tannins. Nice balace. Very good, not excellent. Pretty accessible, but structured to last many years.
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3/29/2011 - marc d wrote:
This bottle was very open and expressive. Medium body and structure. Nice tannin that is firm but not too drying, some Mourvedre funk.
Would have guessed this would be shut down, but it is drinking very well right now.
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12/10/2010 - dead puddle wrote:
Blind tasted, decanted for 10 hours. Nice dark color with red borders. Nose with dark fruits and leather, coffee, graphite, and coal touch. Mouth quite short, fruits are present but shy. Tannins alive. A style very different than the 2004. My personnal answer is decanted really to much. What ever, 2005 is not to open now !
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10/5/2010 - ronlite wrote: 92 Points
Excellent
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9/28/2010 - sehill wrote: 85 Points
Decanted and poured, this wine continued its frustrating development path. This wine on release did show well on a couple of occasions; however, other bottles (tasted around the same time) showed disjointed characteristics and unevenness. This bottle shows the initial signs of maturity with what forward fruit existed in the past relegated to the background and mature aromatics coming forth. The medium/full bodied palate shows a firm but balanced profile. Based on multiple experiences with this wine, it is not likely to improve with additional bottle age.
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8/24/2010 - djdaqm wrote: 88 Points
Interesting wine a wonderful nose. Notes of herbs dominate the nose. Very dark color. On the palette, the wine is interesting and different. Tastes like a tomato plant. Yet, it is not fun to drink. It really should be drunk with food.
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6/17/2010 - gorm wrote: 91 Points
Dark red. Nose of tomato plant, sweet tobacco, stables, olive a la grecque and black cherries. Nice smooth mouthfeel. Further positive development on day 2.
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4/19/2010 - thewineoceros wrote: 89 Points
Powerful stuff - almost black and clearly a young un'. However had this in a half and popped and poured. Liquorice, black fruits, surrounded by oak and backed up by a good dose of acidity. enjoyable, and would do well with a spiced stew or tagine, full of mediterranean sun. Definately a keeper, but good all the same. 89+
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4/3/2010 - manonthemoon wrote: 90 Points
Had for dinner at the Town House Grill in SWVA. Double decanted for 2 hours and consumed over 2 hours. Nose of mixed raspberries, graphite, forest soil, smoke. Palate of mixed raspberries, licorice, graphite, herbs, spice. The finish was above average in length and the balance of the wine was good. The front and mid palate of the wine became more open as the night progressed, but the back end still was shut down with the heavy tannin/acidity. The tannins were also a little bitter, but that should improve with time. Good qpr. Hold. 50+5+11+16+8
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4/1/2010 - Stefanos T. wrote: 87 Points
This is the simplest cuvee of this very good Domaine. The wine has just reached maturity plateau. Offers ripe red fruit, cured meat notes, red fruit and cedar wood. Medium bodied. Balanced and with good finish. Well made wine but not the heights the special cuvees can reach.
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3/5/2010 - sehill wrote: 86 Points
This bottle was decanted and poured. This wine continues to show a stern and unyielding personality. The reticent aromatics demonstrate black fruits, smoke, tar and rock notes; however, even with airing they fail to evolve or become more accessible. The color is a dark ruby to almost black that is correct for the wines age. The austere palate shows initially shows firmness that only softens slightly with airing. The tannins give this wine a stern, structured impression. All the components are here for this wine to improve with bottle age; however, unlike some of the other recent vintages of this wine, it lacks the forward accessibility when young.
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2/21/2010 - Rechrom wrote: 91 Points
Decanted an hour, funky' in your face wine that really complements funky, in our face foods very well. A food wine, not an intellectual wine, rough and tumble with briar and fruit. Drinking well now, several years left.
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2/17/2010 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
(at Marius – Amsterdam) I really like this wine. Has heft, complexity, minerality and balance. Still needs a few years….under appreciated. (92+)
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1/30/2010 - Paul D wrote: 86 Points
Medium ruby core, medium pale ruby rim. Ripe bilberry and blackberry fruit on the nose, moderate intensity with notes of meat, pepper and earth. Medium full bodied, but relatively fresh and light with keen acidity, with moderate to good depth of fruit not quite covering some firm, slightly furry tannins. Some attractive savoury bilberry and red berry fruit, notes of earth, medium - good length slightly firm, dry finish. Good with lamb chops. Not sure this has the depth of fruit to be a real long-term keeper? 13.5%ABV
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1/28/2010 - CO CHRIS wrote:
11-14% alc (as stated on bottle)...plain and simple, the wine needs some decanting...on the nose, after approx. an hour the wine explodes on the nose, loads of leather, earth, spice, garrigue, tar - reminds me of complex Rhone wines where the fruit isn't first, second or third expression, the fruit appears at the last bit of the nose...on the palate this wine is singing and in perfect balance, fine structure - for drinking now, not necessarily long aging - great fine tannins, great acidity, long, long, long finish of dried red fruits, leather, herbs, dried cherry. A fine, pleasing wine. Complex, yes. The only issue with aging longer for me is how much further will the fruit continue to dry out? Ready to go and frankly, I'll drink mine with barbecue this summer.
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1/25/2010 - Moby Vino wrote: 90 Points
This sinewy, well-structured wine, filled with raspberry fruit, earth, spice and herbs proved to be an inspired complement to a pungent, flavor-crazy haunch of roasted wild hog, served with a big bowl of bitter, garlicy rappini and a few loaves of bread. A nice Bandol to drink young.
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12/12/2009 - jim dixon wrote:
Muted nose and quite tannic on opening. Needs air to soften up a bit and start showing anything beyond simple fruit. Eventually complexity emerges: herbs, dirt, etc. Not bretty – clean relative to some other past vintages.
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12/12/2009 - GreatLibations wrote: 79 Points
A very dry wine with high acids. Very old world and a distinct emphasis on cranberry. Theres a bit of funky sourness. The finish is parched.
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12/10/2009 - Berno wrote: 91 Points
Extremely solid, great with pasta with meat sauce. Earthy nose, with cassis, tart raspberry and forest floor aromas. In the mouth, bright and refreshing, it was an awesome bottle.
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11/27/2009 - Rupert wrote: 86 Points
Plush, woody, lacking distinction, dull
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11/12/2009 - chambolle wrote:
Can it be that the wild and woolly wines of Domaine Tempier have been tamed? Where is the funk, the garrigue, the brambly tannic edge of the Tempier Bandol of memory? Compare this wine to the 1998 Tempier Bandol, or even the 1993, and the 2005 is more forward and supple than these older wines are today, far "cleaner," and thus far less interesting. Is it the 2005 vintage, or just a change in style? I hope not the latter. This is very sound, well made, good quality wine, ripe and immediately appealing. But "sound" wines are a dime a dozen. Domaine Tempier has always been about quirks and character and soul. It was not for the faint of heart. You wouldn't pour it for your California Merlot loving friends. This wine, I shudder at the thought, might suit them just fine.
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10/31/2009 - jim dixon wrote: 90 Points
Still tasting pretty young and rustic. For me it improved significantly with a couple hours of air (in the decanter).
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10/16/2009 - french16 wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly pretty accessible. Loved the nose with briny notes, raspberry, spiced cherries and touch of iron. Light to med body backed up by med acidity, tannins are present but not agressive at all, pure and focused, again plenty of cherry notes and raspberry with a nice earthiness. Med+ finish.
Very nice overall, will certainly improve with a few years in the cellar but for midterm consumption.
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8/31/2009 - Squirreljam wrote: 91 Points
This drank very nicely, though young and a touch tight. It took about an hour for the nose to awaken, and it never will be, say, a cali pinot on the nose. Still, nice subtle dark fruits (plum), tiny hint of mint and a nice deep earth/loam note. On the palate, well balanced with great acidity and a long finish. There's minerality and the same notes of dark fruit and a tang of iron.
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8/22/2009 - mmurry wrote: 91 Points
The South of France (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had manure, leather, and blackberry. The palate had a lot of herbs, along with blackberry, leather, and an earthy finish.
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6/27/2009 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
This tasted very dull first off, so much so that I decided to open a claret instead and use this to deglaze the pan. But returning to it later, it was transformed - fragrant, almost floral, sparking lifted red fruits, quite burgundian in fact
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6/1/2009 - danstrings wrote: 90 Points
John and AC's -- showing a bit closed now, after an hour it opened up. But a wonderful, sleek red with loads of concentrated fruit and a dark chocolate element. Needs time, but nothing to throw off the table today!
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5/2/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium ruby. Pretty clean for Tempier with camphor aromas. Bracing entry due to brisk acidity. Light to medium bodied with blackberry fruit and substantial tannins. This is lean and definitely grippy, but it has enough stuffing to fall short of being mean. Hardly charming right now, this will need time, but this is par for the course with this producer.
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3/25/2009 - kevin h wrote: 89 Points
A fairly vivid youthful purple colour and showing good extraction. Already thrown a reasonable level of sediment, so needs decanting. Nose was pretty closed at first but hints of raspberriers after a hour. To taste, soft and silky and amazing purity of fruit. Ripe fruit but not overdone. Not obvious tannin showing at all making this a pleasant wine to drink young. No funk or sauvage character at all but distinct raspberries after it has been in the decanter for an hour and a half. A bit soft in the mid-palate but a nice finish.
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1/10/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
Ruby with medium saturation. Blackberry and pine needle aromatics. Raspy, lean core with tart finish and drying tannins. This tastes as though it came from underripe grapes, and it is tight and frankly unappealing at the moment.
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1/8/2009 - sehill wrote: 87 Points
This wine has been tasted on a couple of occasions since its release and has been variable from one tasting to the next. This wine was decanted and poured. It showed well but not up to expectations. Another bottle tasted last June showed very well. A bottle tasted a few months later showed well but demonstrated signs of closing down. This bottle showed an even more closed profile. There is balance here, but the forward, primary fruit was lacking reducing the overall pleasure of the wine. Hopefully this will show better with some additional bottle age.
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10/24/2008 - pbjosh wrote: 93 Points
A bit dry and austere - dried cherries, bitter plums, leather, spice, roasted earth, herbs de Provence. Effortless and balanced on the palate with plenty of garrigue. Finish clamps down with acid and tannin. Give it a 6-10 year slumber, this is another classic Tempier. Wonderful as always and extremely hard to beat for $32.
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10/22/2008 - kopatrota wrote: 87 Points
ce vin doit encore vieillir. il sera à maturité dans 5 ans.
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9/19/2008 - sehill wrote: 90 Points
Another good showing for this wine. This has improved since release. A bottle tasted a in June showed slightly better. This is not as forward and accessible as the 2004. The bouquet showed grilled meats, black fruits and earth notes. The color is correct for its age. The medium-full bodied palate shows good depth and concentration with tannins and acidity giving a good amount of youthful grip. The evolution of this wine will be fun to watch.
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8/1/2008 - blancdeblancs wrote:
slightly smoky nose, dark raspberries, BIG tannin (no surprise there). just an infant, needs much more time as per the usual Tempier bottlings!
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6/8/2008 - sehill wrote: 91 Points
Drank in Downieville, CA. This wine showed well. This is the best showing of this wine since its release. However, it lacks the completeness of the 2004 Tempier Bandol. Overall it shows dried herbs and black fruits on the bouquet. It is a dark red to almost black youthful color. The medium - full bodied palate combines the herb and black fruits with earth notes. The wine has good acidity and tannin structure. Based on tasting this wine a number of times since its release, it has the potential to continue to improve for many years.
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5/10/2008 - mmurry wrote: 90 Points
Warm Weather Wines (Farpointe Cellar): A nice nose of cedar, blackberry, blueberry, and plum. The palate had blackberry pie, a bit of cedar, and a spice and cream finish.
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4/17/2008 - win wrote:
Blackberries, black currant and light earthy aromas, deep red color, very expressive brooding red fruit flavors and a little smoke, with a high tannin level. Will definitely be more interesting in at least 5 or so years. 88-92
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3/26/2008 - 5laton wrote:
WSET Blind Practice Session (Berkeley, CA): Medium ruby purple color, lightening at the rim. Medium(+) tears. Lifted nose, seems youthful and primary. Lifted aromas of red and blue fruit, spice, slight vegetal, floral, touch of rubbing alcohol. There's also a component reminiscent of citric acid coated sour gummy worms. Dry on the palate with medium(+) acidity and coarse, chalky medium(-) tannins. Despite the nose, alcohol does not come through on the palate. Medium(-) body, medium flavor intensity, with liqueur like tart red and blue fruits and earth. Quality is acceptable to good, i guessed a price of $15 to $20 but had no idea what this was. Not recommended; seems rather light in body and concentration for a Tempier Bandol, though i prefer this to the jammy, over the top 2004. Tasted blind.
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2/5/2008 - Mrbuzz wrote: 87 Points
Well.....not like the 2004! This wine is very tight...not really showing much. Dark cherry, sour plum, currant fruit...shows tar funk, raspberry chipotle sauce, green tobacco leaves, blood iron. Really closed, no floralness like I like in these.....NEEDS TIME!
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1/25/2008 - EMichels wrote: 85 Points
Wine Exchange - The Dark Side: Dark; A lot of depth; Charred meat
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1/22/2008 - Ben Andersen wrote:
From half bottle. Served at 62 degrees. Second time with this one. Dense nose of black raspberry fruit, tar, earth, charcoal, spices and dried flowers. More of the same on the palate, with lingering sauvage notes of animal, blood and scorched earth. This is burly, gutsy, honest stuff - real wine here. Delicious.
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1/13/2008 - JBVino wrote:
going to be a darn good vintage for tempier...opened in bottle only approx90 min before consuming and this wine was already giving secondary flavors of meat and earth...still huge but giving indications to come of this wine and I am sure its vineyard specific siblings.
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1/5/2008 - cfe wrote:
very dark red. Big nose of dark red fruits, leather blood and spice. Big wine, clenched very tight as present, balanced with fine acids and tannins, but not all that pleasant to drink now. Softened a little the second day, but still tight. Will be very nice with time. Try again about 2013.
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12/6/2007 - Emiliana wrote: 95 Points
Deep and dark in color. This wine is a true beauty. It is another stellar vintage for Tempier. The nose is loaded with tons of different stuff starting with a touch of manuer, followed by dark fruits; cherries, blackberries. It also has some good herbal characteristics (herb de Provence). The body of the wine is big with great acid to counter those crazy tannins. This is a wine that will live on and on forever and ever!!!!!!!!! I love it. Simply the kind of juice that warms my heart. The finish is long and a tiny bit bitter, remenicent of black olives. Recommended drinking: 2009-2018. Baring in mind all the crazy stories from Kermit Lynch's "Inspiering Thirst" I would not be surprised if it lived for much, much longer. Recommended food paring: simple food, a great steak accompanied by sides with flavors of Provence (eggplant, tamatoes, zucchini, thyme, garlic, etc.) Great, Great Stuff!!!!!
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11/28/2007 - br wrote:
deep red. deep fruit flavors. plenty of funk. a mouthful. young and a bit wild.
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11/12/2007 - HenryW wrote: 88 Points
Nose has a briny, clam-like aspect that transports me back to a Maine lobster shack; palate is less interesting and somewhat indistinct at this point--dark fruits is the best I can come up with; tannins are prominent. This wine has potential but I suspect it will fall short of the 2004.
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10/27/2007 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Tried this at a retailer tasting. Dark red, fleshy and medium to full bodied with savoury flavours of meat, earth and leather over red fruits. Firm, grippy tannins underneath the fruit with a medium length finish showing a tinge of alcoholic warmth.
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