Much time has passed since I last had one of the world’s most iconic wines. It’s not just legendary, but vital year after year. I’m talking about the Domaine Tempier Rosé. Yesterday I enjoyed a bottle as it is best enjoyed (outside of southern France, at least): with a friend over a great, leisurely lunch.
Since I apparently can’t stop writing about rosé, I’m going to soldier on until I have scoured the earth for all the unique bottles of dry pink wine I can find. The 2017 Domaine Tempier Rosé has the extra richness you’d expect from a Bandol along with some more pronounced and delightful aromas than your average bland-o pink wine.
It’s a blend of 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Grenache, 20% Cinsault. I would say it’s the Mourvèdre that really pulls its weight in the flavor and scent departments.
Also a huge shout-out to Scampi. It’s an outstanding restaurant, perfect for lunch. Especially when you roll in at 2pm and it’s nice and quiet and you can sit at the bar with a friend. And speaking of friends, I’m lucky to have a good buddy of mine who I worked with at Bottlehouse in Seattle on the staff.
If you are in NYC for restaurant week, you get two courses here for $26. The food was outstanding.
Salad with savoy cabbage (shaved raw), ricotta salata, almonds, tomato, olives:
Branzino with (amazing) cippolini onions, broccoli rabe, chilies:
Of course there was dessert. Perfectly jiggly panna cotta with vanilla custard, peaches, pine nuts, raspberry & peach granita:
Finally, two tiny, perfectly crisp cannoli with chocolate chip ricotta cream. How about the beautiful plate they came on?
So if you can’t drink it at the domaine, Scampi on a quiet afternoon is a dang fantastic substitute. We were even joined at the bar by someone very much a Manhattanite, noting nothing would compel her to go to Brooklyn now that she didn’t have a car. (Cabs and subways are, apparently, not an option.) She stepped out often for two puffs on her cigarette. I could have listened to her all day long, and wish I would have spoken to her more than I did. No doubt she has a ton of New York stories.
Domaine Tempier photo from Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant website.
