Bandol Rose Chateau du Pibarnon 2017

Bandol Rose Chateau du Pibarnon, fruit forward, subtle spice, dry, Provencal Rose. Outstanding Provence Rose from one of the unofficial Grand Crus of the appellation. This is a fine rose produced by the saignée method (bleeding the juice off the red grapes following sufficient contact to impart the pink colour) from young Mourvèdre and Cinsault vines. It's alive with flavours of red berries, spices, liquorice and then citrus. After the initial burst of flavours in the mouth, it's rounded out by its depth and a subtle, pleasant salinity on the finish. A serious, yet very drinkable rose from a very well respected estate. Serve with red mullet, dishes with saffron, curried food and blue cheeses.

Pibarnon is located to the north of Bandol on the Télégraphe hill, which was once part of the Toulon-Paris optical telegraph system. The estate was enlarged when bought by the Comte de Saint Victor, carving new terraces out of the calcareous soil. The hill whereon the vineyard parcels are located is a geographical oddity, containing Triassic limestone – very different to the granite and other soils in the region. This and the altitude to 300 metres explain Pibarnon’s great elegance and aromatic finesse. The Mourvèdre vines are protected from the fierce Mistral by the semi-circular amphitheatre of terraces. It is a quite breathtaking Provencal scene when visiting this estate, surrounded by intoxicating scents and aromas and majestic vineyards. Vineyard tasks are carried out by hand: severe selection means low yields. There is rigorous adherence to quality in the vineyard, including careful (and traditional) gobelet training, green harvesting (removal and disposal of some bunches of grapes from the vine before ripening begins) and keeping yields less than 40 hl/ha. The vines themselves are predominantly Mourvèdre, this grape dominating the red wine that is the only such wine produced by the château – no super-cuvées here.