EN 
DE 
FR 
IT 
From this terrace you look out over an amphitheatre of vines to the Mediterranean, the highest point in Bandol. Château de Pibarnon is not an estate you forget.
Éric de Saint Victor has run the estate since 2000. His Mourvèdre: velvety, complex, built to age. The soils of blue Triassic marl recall Pétrus geologically. Certified organic since 2019.
≈ Food: Cheese
In all wines: 1,412 Wines
More about Château de Pibarnon
An amphitheatre for Mourvèdre
The restanques, centuries-old stone terraces stacked by hand, form the heart of Pibarnon. Like the tiers of a Greek theatre they climb the slope, each step with a microclimate of its own. What was still 16 hectares in 1977 now covers around 50 hectares, all on unique Triassic rock with blue marl and primeval fossils.
When Catherine and Henri de Saint Victor bought the estate, Bandol was barely known. What they found was a wine from the 1970s that reminded them of great Barolos. They converted the château into a Provençal bastide and built a gravity-flow cellar that was ahead of its time.
Mourvèdre and its master
Éric de Saint Victor grew up among the barrels. He joined officially in 1989 and took over the running of the estate in 2000. His philosophy: hedonistic, sensual wines without showiness. The Mourvèdre shows its charming side here, velvety rather than aggressive, complex rather than loud.
Five gold medals in a row at the Concours Général Agricole in Paris (1980-1985), a place among the 150 best wines in the world at Slow Food, 95 points from Wine Spectator for the 2005: the awards speak for themselves. Cellar master Marie Laroze, with the estate since 2008, brings Burgundian precision to the 220 individual parcels.
From rosé to the 25-year-old marc
Pibarnon's Bandol Rosé is no terrace quickie: full-bodied, with the liquorice note of Mourvèdre, made for ageing. The cuvée Nuances goes further still, a pure Mourvèdre rosé matured in oak and sandstone.
The Bandol Rouge needs time, ten years, sometimes more. Those who cannot wait reach for the Restanques de Pibarnon: 70 % Mourvèdre, 30 % Grenache, ready to drink and yet able to age.
Provence contrasts: limestone against sand
While Pibarnon sits enthroned on its blue marl, Alône works on pure sand in the Sainte-Baume nature park. The comparison is worthwhile: Pibarnon's rosés show structure and depth, Alône's version is saltier, lighter, shaped by the sandy soil. Two sides of the Provençal coin.