Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rouge 2020

Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rouge is the estate’s top wine, 90 per cent Mourvèdre from high terraces on blue marl, and one of the great mountain Bandols.

Bandol, on the Mediterranean coast east of Marseille, requires Mourvèdre to lead its reds, and Pibarnon works with 90 per cent of it alongside 10 per cent Grenache. The fruit comes from the oldest vines on the finest of the estate’s high restanques — Bel-Air, La Grande Paguette, La Falaise, Les Pointes Blanches, Le Col and Les Dolmens. Altitude, the influence of the sea and the limestone and clay soils together give a freshness and purity uncommon among Mediterranean reds. Farming is organic and biodynamic under chef de culture Éric Schladenhaufen, while in the cellar Marie Laroze works with wild yeasts, large-format oak, low sulphur and micro-batching by terroir, avoiding artifice. This wine fermented on indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks with around 25 per cent whole bunches retained to lift the aromatics, then aged 20 months in a mix of new and used foudres.

Rewarding now with decanting and built to run fifteen to twenty years. Serve at 16-18°C with roast lamb, a daube of beef or a hard mountain cheese.

*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.