Warm, deep mahogany with golden-brown reflections — testament to long ageing.
Nose
Intense and multi-layered: dried fruits, walnut, liquorice and spicy notes, accompanied by hints of vanilla, leather and a fine rancio spiciness.
Palate
Concentrated and warm on the palate, with notes of prune, caramelised wood and dark spices; despite 42.5% ABV, softly integrated alcohol and a long, spicy finish.
Character
A mature, profound digestif of dignified complexity — the distilled essence of great Bandol terroirs, patiently brought to its full depth over decades.
Pairing
Neat as a digestif after a festive meal, with dark chocolate or aged hard cheese such as Comté; also a harmonious combination with an espresso.
Notes
A rare vintage marc from 1998 from the house of Pibarnon, whose long maturation makes it a rarity for collectors and lovers of fine pomace brandies — grown on the Triassic marl at the highest point in Bandol.
Tasting note
Character
A pomace brandy of aristocratic lineage. Where the great red wines of Pibarnon end, this Marc begins: the press residues of the Mourvèdre are distilled and condensed into the estate’s spicy essence. Dry, intense, with notes of dried herbs, dark berries, liquorice and a hint of garrigue – plus the deep, almost smoky warmth that only a patiently aged Vieux Marc develops. A digestif for those who find grappa too rough and Cognac too smooth.
Terroir & Origin
Pibarnon sits enthroned at the highest point in Bandol, in a natural amphitheatre of centuries-old stone terraces built by hand – the restanques. The subsoil is geologically unique: blue Triassic marl with prehistoric fossils, a soil full of marine fossils. Around 50 hectares, divided into 220 individual plots, each with its own microclimate. The pomace for this spirit also comes from these vines – origin could hardly be expressed more concentratedly.
Grape Variety & Vinification
The base is Mourvèdre, the soul of Bandol and the life’s work of Éric de Saint Victor, who has run the estate since 2000 and joined in 1989. Its pomace – skins, pips, stems – is distilled after pressing; the long ageing transforms the raw young spirit into the velvety Vieux Marc. The estate, organically certified since 2019, regards the Marc as a chapter in its own right: the house range extends from rosé to the 25-year-old Marc. At 42.5% vol., this 1998 remains powerful yet balanced.
Food Recommendations
A solitary figure at the end of a meal – most convincing alongside dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, walnuts and dried figs, or a mature, profound hard cheese. Also a harmonious choice with a bold espresso bean or as a finale after a braise seasoned with Provençal herbs. Pour sparingly, take the glass in your hand, allow it time: this Marc demands no accompaniment – only attention.
