2020 Domaine Tempier 'Lulu & Lucien' Rouge Bandol

Inevitably, 2020 will go down in history as a peculiar year. Beyond the obvious reasons, it is also the year in which we lost Lulu Peyraud, a joyous presence at Domaine Tempier who radiated a contagious joie de vivre through her last days at age 102. She is celebrated—along with her husband, Lucien, Tempier’s founder and godfather of the Bandol AOC—on the label of the Domaine’s 2020 Bandol rouge release.

The vintage gave us perhaps the perfect wine to immortalize Lulu’s spirit, and if there were any doubts as to whether the heart and soul of Tempier could live on without her, the answer is a resounding yes. You’ll want to savor as many bottles as possible, as soon as possible, to take advantage of the intoxicating young fruit: wild blackberries and violets leap from the glass, while the surprisingly supple tannins encourage diving in headfirst before the wine bulks up and closes down for a period of hibernation. Less dense or concentrated than in 2019, it should still age exceptionally well, but it would be a crime not to uncork a few bottles in its vibrant youth—simply, as Lulu would say, pour le plaisir. —Anthony Lynch

75% Mourvèdre, 14% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 2% Carignan