Bandol: The King of French Rosé

Bandol: The King of French Rosé
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 (1500ml)
Added

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)
Added
Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2022
Added

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
Added

Other Recent Releases

  • Holiday Reading and Christmas Gifting
    Holiday Reading and Christmas Gifting
    In the run-up to the gifting season, we’re delighted to offer special pricing on select...
    In the run-up to the gifting season, we’re delighted to offer special pricing on selected books from the IFW library. Here at International Fine Wi...

    Read more

  • Domaine aux Moines
    Domaine aux Moines
    Domaine aux Moines, a now 12-hectare estate set in the heart of one of the Loire’s most...
    Domaine aux Moines, a now 12-hectare estate set in the heart of one of the Loire’s most enigmatic vineyards, La Roche-aux-Moines, was founded in 19...

    Read more

  • Bannockburn
    Bannockburn
    Where there is smoke, there is fire. It’s not just the quality of Bannockburn’s Chardon...
    Where there is smoke, there is fire. It’s not just the quality of Bannockburn’s Chardonnay and Pinot that has transformed over the years. “When you...

    Read more

  • Spinifex
    Spinifex
    Spinifex’s portfolio is stacked with quality, yet two wines play a particularly signifi...
    Spinifex’s portfolio is stacked with quality, yet two wines play a particularly significant role in Pete and Magali’s story. Indigene has been a co...

    Read more

  • Bernard Defaix: The Director’s Cut
    Bernard Defaix: The Director’s Cut
    Today, we offer a new tranche of Defaix’s cracking 2022 wines, plus the first arrivals ...
    Today, we offer a new tranche of Defaix’s cracking 2022 wines, plus the first arrivals from 2023. The latest ‘22s include the Côte de Léchet Réserv...

    Read more

  • Pyramid Valley
    Pyramid Valley
    A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of meeting with Pyramid Valley winemaker, Huw Kinc...
    A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of meeting with Pyramid Valley winemaker, Huw Kinch. Not only is Kinch a deeply knowledgeable guy―as the Frenc...

    Read more

  • Thomas Wines
    Thomas Wines
    With spring comes Semillon. The 2024 season went by in a flash, and the wines are rarin...
    With spring comes Semillon. The 2024 season went by in a flash, and the wines are raring to go. Andrew Thomas can't recall an earlier harvest in hi...

    Read more

  • Robert Weil
    Robert Weil
    Like Italy and France, Germany has more than its fair share of revered historic hillsid...
    Like Italy and France, Germany has more than its fair share of revered historic hillside vineyards. Few of these can match the history and majesty ...

    Read more

  • Quealy: New Release Pinots
    Quealy: New Release Pinots
    “2023 will be remembered as one of those great vintages,” says Tom McCarthy. “It was an...
    “2023 will be remembered as one of those great vintages,” says Tom McCarthy. “It was an exceptional year with perfect ripening conditions—there jus...

    Read more

View All Offers
Welcome