Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.
Bibendum Wine Co.

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Château de Pibarnon

Summer Lovin’: Benchmark Rosé, “Unfailingly one of the most savoury in Provence.”
Château de Pibarnon

One of the benchmark rosés of France, this wine never misses a beat. Yet even in this context, 2022 gives an excellent account of itself. If you tot up in your mind what makes the perfect rosé, Pibarnon’s wine is going to come pretty close. The nose is full of all things nice: wild berries, tangerine, stone fruit and garrigue. The palate is typically vinous, mouth-filling and broad-shouldered with a fleshy, citrus-infused texture and umami goodness clinging to the inside of your cheeks. The finish is pure and detailed with plenty of airy, thirst-quenching length and a lick of iodine to close. And, incidentally, it looks great in the glass, especially outdoors on long summer evenings just before night falls.

The Wines

Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2022

Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2022

Organic. Another cracking release, Pibarnon’s distinctive 65:35 Mourvèdre and Cinsault blend was drawn from the estate’s stunning amphitheatre of terraces (or restanques) set amid the pine-covered hilltop of La Colline du Télégraphe. This is Bandol’s highest vineyard (at 300 metres above the Baie de Bandol), and it enjoys freshness and cool nights from altitude and moderating sea breezes. It’s not only the elevation and proximity to the sea that makes this vineyard so special; a peculiar soil type predominates: les marnes bleues. This uncommon and highly chalky, blue-tinted clay—rich in microfossils—is also encountered in the Jura and Pomerol, where it is prized for its low pH, water-retentive properties, and influence on a wine’s freshness and structure.

For the winemaking, the Cinsault component is pressed directly to tank and brings elegance, perfume and balance, while the Mourvèdre is bled, saignée-style, after several hours of skin contact. The latter brings vibrancy, complexity and chalky structure. The juices were blended before spontaneous fermentation.

In the Pibarnon mould, the new release is a typically vinous, mouth-filling and broad-shouldered rosé with a fleshy, citrus-infused texture underpinned by grapefruity grip, precise acidity, touches of iodine-spiked minerality and amaro bitters. The finish is pure and detailed with plenty of airy, thirst-quenching length. A true classic.

“It displays aromas of pomegranate, citrus, spring flowers, iodine, jasmine and crushed stones, followed by a beautifully defined texture, a fleshy core of fruit and racy acids that underpin a delicate, well-delineated and calcareous finish. It's going to drink nicely in its youth, but I suspect it will also age gracefully over the next 2-5 years.”
93 points, Johan Castaing, The Wine Advocate
The 2022 Rosé is savoury and sweet with a rich blend of rosemary, sage and tomato leaf, giving way to dried cherries. It’s silky-smooth and round with a buzz of minerality and brisk acidity up front as ginger-spiked nectarine forms towards the close. This tapers off with a salty flourish. Spice and citrus notes keep the mouth watering.”
92 points, Eric Guido, Vinous
“A distinctive, beautifully harmonious rosé, with a pronounced dusting of fleur de sel over melon, red berry and plum flavors, all spiked by singed herbs and dried flowers. Boasts blood orange acidity that drives impressive length, building in concentration toward the finish. Offers abundant intrigue and pleasure, with just the right amount of richness.”
92 points, Kristen Bieler, Wine Spectator
Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2022
Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2022 (1500ml)

Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2022 (1500ml)

Organic. Another cracking release, Pibarnon’s distinctive 65:35 Mourvèdre and Cinsault blend was drawn from the estate’s stunning amphitheatre of terraces (or restanques) set amid the pine-covered hilltop of La Colline du Télégraphe. This is Bandol’s highest vineyard (at 300 metres above the Baie de Bandol), and it enjoys freshness and cool nights from altitude and moderating sea breezes. It’s not only the elevation and proximity to the sea that makes this vineyard so special; a peculiar soil type predominates: les marnes bleues. This uncommon and highly chalky, blue-tinted clay—rich in microfossils—is also encountered in the Jura and Pomerol, where it is prized for its low pH, water-retentive properties, and influence on a wine’s freshness and structure.

For the winemaking, the Cinsault component is pressed directly to tank and brings elegance, perfume and balance, while the Mourvèdre is bled, saignée-style, after several hours of skin contact. The latter brings vibrancy, complexity and chalky structure. The juices were blended before spontaneous fermentation.

In the Pibarnon mould, the new release is a typically vinous, mouth-filling and broad-shouldered rosé with a fleshy, citrus-infused texture underpinned by grapefruity grip, precise acidity, touches of iodine-spiked minerality and amaro bitters. The finish is pure and detailed with plenty of airy, thirst-quenching length. A true classic.

"It displays aromas of pomegranate, citrus, spring flowers, iodine, jasmine and crushed stones, followed by a beautifully defined texture, a fleshy core of fruit and racy acids that underpin a delicate, well-delineated and calcareous finish. It's going to drink nicely in its youth, but I suspect it will also age gracefully over the next 2-5 years."
93 points, Johan Castaing, The Wine Advocate
"The 2022 Rosé is savoury and sweet with a rich blend of rosemary, sage and tomato leaf, giving way to dried cherries. It’s silky-smooth and round with a buzz of minerality and brisk acidity up front as ginger-spiked nectarine forms towards the close. This tapers off with a salty flourish. Spice and citrus notes keep the mouth watering.”
92 points, Eric Guido, Vinous
“A distinctive, beautifully harmonious rosé, with a pronounced dusting of fleur de sel over melon, red berry and plum flavors, all spiked by singed herbs and dried flowers. Boasts blood orange acidity that drives impressive length, building in concentration toward the finish. Offers abundant intrigue and pleasure, with just the right amount of richness.”
92 points, Kristen Bieler, Wine Spectator
Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2022 (1500ml)

“Having understood perfectly the soul of this exceptional terroir, Henri de Saint-Victor completely remade Chateau de Pibarnon and in doing so created a grand classic in Bandol, with a profundity and balance without equal in Provence... [The Pibarnon] Rosé is unfailingly one of the most savoury in Provence.” Bettane and Desseauve's Guide to the Wines of France



“Run by Eric de Saint Victor, who is aided by assistant winemaker Marie Laroze, Chateau de Pibarnon fashions some of the top wines from this incredible appellation. Any reader wanting to taste the best expression of Bandol should get on this estate’s bandwagon, as the price has yet to catch up to the quality.” The Wine Advocate

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