Château de Pibarnon Rosé Nuances AOC 2022

The Cuvée Nuances is a rosé for the table: single-varietal Mourvèdre from Bandol, dry, 14.0% vol. and full-bodied in structure. The variety's characteristic liquorice note runs through the whole wine, velvety rather than assertive, complex rather than loud. A rosé made for ageing, not for a fleeting summer evening.

Château de Pibarnon sits at the highest point of Bandol, on the Provençal coast; from the terrace, the view stretches across an amphitheatre of vines down to the Mediterranean. The restanques, centuries-old dry-stone terraces built by hand, climb the slope, giving each level its own microclimate. Beneath them lies blue Triassic marl containing prehistoric fossils. Around 50 hectares, organic-certified since 2019.

Pure Mourvèdre. Éric de Saint Victor, who has led the estate since 2000, seeks out this variety's charming, sensual side. Winemaker Marie Laroze has overseen the 220 individual parcels since 2008; the work takes place in the gravity-flow cellar the family established early on. The Nuances is aged in oak and sandstone.

Vibrant salmon pink with copper highlights. On the nose, ripe red berries, blood orange and Provençal herbs. Dry, juicy, with fine spice and a long, deep finish.

Bouillabaisse, grilled sea bream with fennel, leg of lamb with Provençal herbs, tuna in olive oil or tapas with anchovies and ratatouille. Serve well chilled, but not ice-cold.

A rosé aged in oak and sandstone — a process that gives it depth and ageing potential.