Domaine Tempier

Domaine Tempier: the Mourvèdre at the origin of Bandol

Domaine Tempier

The Peyraud family, winegrowers in Le Plan du Castellet, Var, Provence

Wine region

Bandol, Provence. The estate is located in Le Plan du Castellet (Var), a few kilometres from the Mediterranean, in the amphitheatre of hills that forms the heart of the appellation.

Appellations and terroirs

Bandol AOC exclusively. The vineyard covers around 60 hectares spread across the communes of Le Castellet, Le Beausset and La Cadière d'Azur, on restanques (stone terraces) and on sun-drenched slopes. The geology is exceptionally diverse: Santonian sandstones and marls (75-90 Ma), dolomitic limestones, sandy marls and recent colluvium. Five terroirs have been identified, each one vinified to express its own individuality:

• La Bastide (7 ha, Plan du Castellet): the family's original terroir and the foundation of the Classique red and rosé cuvées.
• La Tourtine (5.5 ha): due-south restanques in Le Castellet, Santonian sandstones and marls with some gypsum, deep clay soils despite the altitude.
• La Migoua (11 ha, Beausset-Vieux, 300 m): a complex geological fault zone, with limestones, dolomites and dedolomites, and multiple exposures (east, west, south).
• Cabassaou (1.5 ha): a micro-terroir sheltered from the mistral, with shallow soils and very low yields.
• La Laidière (18 ha, acquired in 2016, 300 m, facing east/south-east): a cool terroir favoured for the white and the rosé.

Signature grape varieties

Reds: Mourvèdre (from 50 to 95% depending on the cuvée), Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan.
Whites: Clairette (60%), Ugni Blanc (30%), Rolle, Bourboulenc, Marsanne.

Philosophy and history

The estate has belonged to the Tempier family since 1834. In 1940, Lucien and Lucie Peyraud settled there and undertook a thorough overhaul: replanting with Mourvèdre and actively defending the appellation. On 11 November 1941, Bandol obtained its AOC, a victory to which Lucien Peyraud contributed directly as an active member of the INAO. The estate's official website describes him as the “spiritual father of Bandol”. In the 1960s, his sons Jean-Marie and François identified the differences between the plots and created the first terroir cuvées: Tourtine, Migoua, then Cabassaou. Since 2000, Daniel Ravier has been in charge of day-to-day management; the Peyraud family still sits on the board of directors, which meets at least five times a year.

Production specifics

Harvesting is done entirely by hand into crates, with sorting in the vineyard and in the cellar, and full destemming. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel or concrete vats (15 to 21 days depending on the vintage). Ageing in large oak casks (foudres) in a renovated underground cellar; the wines are bottled at the estate. The single-plot cuvées La Tourtine, La Migoua and Cabassaou have been vinified separately since the 1960s, each terroir making up a separate lot. Hand grafting from massal selection, with rootstocks chosen plot by plot.

Environmental commitment

The vineyard has been farmed biodynamically since 2013: plant infusions sprayed in homeopathic doses, work timed to the lunar calendar, weeding done by sheep, mechanical and manual ploughing. No herbicides, no chemical fertilisers. Massal selection to preserve the genetic diversity of the vines. Biodynamic certification under way (process ongoing, according to the estate).

Why choose a Domaine Tempier wine?

• A founding estate of the Bandol AOC (1941): Lucien Peyraud contributed directly to the creation of the appellation and made a minimum of 50% Mourvèdre compulsory in all the reds.
• Five distinct terroirs, with some of the most complex soils in the appellation, from Santonian marl to dolomitic limestone.
• Three single-plot cuvées (La Tourtine, La Migoua, Cabassaou) vinified separately since the 1960s, a plot-by-plot approach that is rare in Provence.
• Biodynamic viticulture since 2013, with no herbicides or synthetic fertilisers.
• Uninterrupted family ownership since 1834, with continuity of management and style over several generations.

Explore the Domaine Tempier selection, from classic Bandol to the single-plot cuvées Cabassaou and La Migoua, all Bandol AOC, all from hand-harvested grapes.