A powerful Bandol made from 90% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache, demonstrating at the highest level the elegance and ageing potential of Provençal red wines.
Profound and intense with dark blackberries, blackcurrants, dried plums and elderberry, alongside juniper, clove, truffle, pepper, as well as delicate notes of vineyard peach, orange and violet.
Palate
Soft, full-bodied and dense with extremely fine, high-quality tannins, refreshing acidity and a cool, stony minerality.
Character
A grand, velvety classic with enormous ageing potential, which already shines as a perfect food companion when decanted or after being open for a day.
Pairing
Pigeon with foie gras and dried plum sauce, saddle of hare with black truffle sauce and celeriac purée, or Salers cheese with candied black olives.
Notes
The vines grow in a unique amphitheatre on blue Triassic marl containing ancient fossils – geologically comparable to Pétrus. The estate has been certified organic since 2019; the wine is aged for 20 months in barriques, tonneaux and large wooden casks and hails from an estate whose wine Slow Food named among the 150 best wines in the world.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Deep violet-red with purple reflections – the colour of a wine that has not yet shed its youth, but already reveals considerable depth.
Nose
An enchanting opening of dark blackberries, blackcurrants and dried plums. Behind this unfolds a complex tapestry of juniper, clove, truffle and pepper. Surprising notes of vineyard peach and orange bring freshness, while violet lends floral elegance.
Palate
Soft and full-bodied, dense and structured. The tannins are silky, the acidity invigorating, the minerality cool and stony. A wine of impressive balance – powerful yet never heavy. Mourvèdre shows its most elegant side here.
Finish
Long and persistent, with a spicy, almost saline note reminiscent of black olives and dried herbs. The fine tannin structure carries the wine well beyond the final impression.
Terroir & origin
Château de Pibarnon sits at the highest point of Bandol, surrounded by an amphitheatre of vines overlooking the Mediterranean. The centuries-old restanques – hand-built stone terraces – form a mosaic of microclimates. Soils of blue Triassic marl and limestone bear geological similarities to Pétrus and lend Mourvèdre its unique depth.
Grape varieties & vinification
A cuvée of 90% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache from the finest and oldest vines at 250 metres altitude. Fermentation lasts three weeks, after which the wine matures for 20 months in barriques, tonneaux and foudres – vinified parcel by parcel.
Food recommendations
A wine for fine cuisine: pigeon with foie gras and dried plum sauce mirrors its dark fruit. Saddle of hare with black truffle sauce finds a worthy partner in it. Also a revelation with Salers cheese and candied black olives.
Special features
The estate has been certified organic since 2019. The magnum bottle promises an even slower, more harmonious maturation. A wine that needs ten years or more to reveal its full potential – yet already offers great pleasure now, once decanted.
