If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be paying $41 for a Provence rose’, I probably would have told you that I’d prefer to drink White Zinfandel. That was before I was familiar with Domaine Tempier—the benchmark producer of Bandol that produces a brilliant range of red blends with mouvedre at their base. The reds are incredibly dense, ripe, earthy, and long-lived examples of Bandol. In addition to complex and decadent reds however, Domaine Tempier also produces a rose’—or more aptly perhaps—the rose’. Outside of Champagne this is certainly the most complex, pleasure-seeking rose’ I’ve ever come across. The Tempier Bandol rose’ is rich and luscious bringing fourth tightly packed raspberry, strawberry, and cherry fruits that blossom and become almost three-dimensional on the back palate. The finish is almost unlike anything I’ve experienced with wine. There are plenty of people—in the store and out—that tell me that rose’ isn’t real wine. Well it’s painfully clear that those people have not tasted this wine. It also might be worth noting that this is one of the few Provence rose’s that holds (and improves) with a little bit of time. Hold these in the cellar for a year or two to unearth the true complexity of this Bandol spawned gem. There’s no doubt that Rose’ season is coming to an end and I can’t think of a better way than to end it but with Tempier.