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Wine description for Château de Pibarnon Rosé AOC 2024 by Château de Pibarnon
There are rosés for a quick sip by the swimming pool – and then there is this one. The Bandol Rosé from Château de Pibarnon belongs to the second, more serious category: a wine with structure, depth and the distinctive spiciness of Mourvèdre. From the highest point in the appellation, above an amphitheatre of centuries-old stone terraces overlooking the Mediterranean, Éric de Saint Victor produces a rosé here that does not seek to please, but to convince. This is Provence for connoisseurs – and for the dining table.
- Colour & appearance
- Intense rosé with reflections reminiscent of copper and grapefruit zest – even in the glass, a promise of substance.
- Nose
- Dense and fresh at once: wild strawberry, redcurrant, barberry and pomegranate, alongside grapefruit, a hint of peach and melon. Spicy undertones of white pepper, aniseed and fennel, citrus peel and herbal blossoms complete the picture.
- Palate
- Juicy, powerful, almost fleshy – yet refreshing. Ripe stone fruit, orange peel, liquorice and Mediterranean herbs meet vibrant acidity and a fine tannic grip that gives the wine backbone.
- Finish
- Salty and savoury-bitter on the finish – the moment when you automatically reach for the glass again.
- Terroir & origin
- The vines grow on the restanques, hand-built stone terraces above Bandol, arranged like the tiers of a Greek theatre facing the sea. The soil: blue Triassic marl with limestone, chalk and ancient fossils – a geological uniqueness that Éric de Saint Victor likes to compare to Pétrus. The estate has been organic-certified since 2019.
- Grape variety & vinification
- Cuvée of 65 % Mourvèdre and 35 % Cinsaut. The Cinsaut is direct-pressed, while the Mourvèdre obtains its juice via the saignée method. Spontaneous fermentation, six months’ ageing in stainless steel – precise winemaking, pure fruit.
- Food pairings
- A rosé with backbone that calls for food: bouillabaisse, herb-crusted tuna, paella, rosemary lamb chops or a Provençal goat’s cheese. Also a delight with ratatouille and spicy Levantine dishes.
- Special characteristics
- What sets it apart is its ageing potential: while most rosés are drunk young, this Bandol gains notes of liquorice, depth and complexity with a few years in bottle – the velvety, charming signature of Pibarnon’s Mourvèdre that has made the estate famous.
