Producer: Domaine Tempier
Wine: Bandol Rose
Vintage: 2004
Country: France
Appellation: Bandol AC
Wine Type: Rose
Primary Varietal: Mourvedre
Designation: Must Drink
Grade: A
Price: $25

Domaine Tempier’s 2004 rose is a profoundly good wine. I have to stop myself from launching into ridiculous hyperbole when talking, thinking, and writing about this wine. You know, it’s France’s best rose, it’s the world’s best rose, it’s the world’s best wine. While I suspect that some or all of these assertions might be correct, or partially correct, I wouldn’t presume to know what the best rose in France is, not to mention the world. However, I can say that if you see this wine, buy it. Out of the glass it’s a pale orangish-red (some might call it salmon) and moves toward transparent on the edge. It smells like the countryside, berries, leaves, and maybe cantaloupe. A drink starts off steely and refined with an impressive balance and then about two thirds of the way through turns into a subtle earthiness that makes your jaw drop (figuratively). Beautiful and delicious? Yes please.

Review by Brad Purvis