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.