"From high in the hills above Tempier, far from all the encroachment of the modern world and its highways, high-speed rail lines, and construction sites, comes La Migoua, the wild one of the bunch, deeply concentrated yet herbal and immensely drinkable." The three single-vineyards of Domaine Tempier are: La Migoua, La Tourtine, and Cabassaou. All are made up of clay and limestone, but there are variations in each. La Migoua is made up of heterogeneous clay that varies in color between red, ochre, and blue. At 270 meters, it sits at the highest altitude of all the vineyards. The parcel’s complex sedimentation is largely due to the subduction of a tectonic plate which has surfaced the oldest rock outcroppings in the whole of the appellation. Surrounded by garrigue and pine forest, the grapes translate to earthy, gamey wines. La Migoua has the smallest amount of Mourvèdre in the blend, with the highest percentage of Grenache of the three cuvées."
Kermit Lynch - importer of Tempier in the US.
"Located on the Beausset Vieux hillside, at an altitude of 300 meters, La Migoua consists of scattered parcels circled by wild scrubland. An extraordinary geological accident formed very complex soil. A sheet of rock was added to a geological reversal with older underground rock layers of limestone, dolomite and dedo-lomite. The rugged relief provides different exposure to the sun (east, west and south), generally less affected by the Mistral, a strong north-westerly wind. The select La Migoua cuvée expresses all the specificity of this 11-hectare site. Mourvèdre (55%), completed with Cinsault (~ 25%) and Grenache (~ 15%) and Syrah. Average age of the vines: 40 years. Clusters are hand-selected in the vineyard and in the cellar; de-stemmed, crushed and put into concrete vats for 3 to 4 week to ferment thanks to indigenous yeasts. Aged in large oak casks for 18 months minimum before bottling."
From Domaine Tempier.
