Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé 2020

Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé is a Mourvèdre-led rosé from the highest vineyard in the appellation, at 300 metres above the Baie de Bandol.

Bandol is one of the few appellations in Provence where rosé is made as a serious wine rather than a by-product, and Mourvèdre is the reason: it ripens late, holds acidity and gives structure that lighter Provençal varieties cannot. Pibarnon’s blend is 60 per cent Mourvèdre and 40 per cent Cinsault, grown on the estate’s amphitheatre of restanques — dry-stone terraces — on the pine-covered Colline du Télégraphe. The altitude brings cool nights and the sea brings a moderating breeze, but the distinguishing feature of the site is its soil: les marnes bleues, a chalky blue-tinted clay dense with microfossils, encountered elsewhere in the Jura and at Pomerol and valued for its low pH, its ability to hold water and its effect on freshness and structure. The estate is farmed organically.

Drinking now and unusually capable of three or four years for a rosé. Serve at 10-12°C with bouillabaisse, grilled prawns or a Niçoise salad.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.