Country: France

Region: Provence - Bandol

Vintage: 2020

Cépage: Mourvedre (70%); Grenache (30%)

Size: 750 ml

Rating(s): NR

Certified Organic

Overlooking the Mediterranean and cascading down the hills lined with olive trees, cypresses, and oleanders, the Pibarnon vineyard is a wonder to behold: a small paradise in Provence, nestled away within the highest hills of the Bandol region. Your adventure begins on a winding road from the bottom of Cadière d'Azur village, and circles round until you reach the Château de Pibarnon, climbing through the vineyards and the Aleppo pines with magnificent views of the La Ciotat Bay or the Embiez. Then, as you climb, you will come to the end of a dirt track, around one final bend, and then arrive at the breath-taking landscape. On the hill, where once stood the optical telegraph linking Toulon to Paris, stands the bastide: a replica of an 18th century Provençal bastide. Just above, the vines parade in tight rows up to 300 metres above sea level, in a succession of circles, looking to the north at the peaks of Le Castellet and to the south at the insolent blue sea. From the terrace of the cellar, the show is worthy of an ancient theater, like that of Epidaurus in the Peloponnese. Remodeled with the help of a bulldozer, the vineyard, in the shape of a semicircle, looks like a masterful Greek amphitheatre. The vines, planted on ‘restanques’ - terraces built by generations of "wall-builders" - create hanging gardens on these steep slopes.

Hand-harvested.  Partially full cluster; fermented on indigenous yeasts in cement tanks.  Aged in older French oak foudre for 18 months.  Unfined and unfiltered.  Aromas suggest black pepper and Provençal garrigue.  Moderate tannins, full-bodied red & black fruit flavors.

-Importer's Notes