Château de Pibarnon Rouge AOC 2018 1500ml Magnum
The Château de Pibarnon Rouge AOC 2018 is a Bandol made from Mourvèdre and Cinsault, grown on blue Triassic marl at the highest point of the appellation, here in magnum format.
CHF 106.00
Prices in CHF, including customs duty and all import charges, plus shipping CHF 15 (free from 12 bottles or CHF 300) — no further charges on delivery.
Available for Switzerland
Magnum — counts as 2 bottles in the case.
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About this wine
Character
Dark fruit, balsamic spice and a cooling vein of graphite hold each other in balance here. The Mourvèdre shows velvety rather than angular, complex rather than loud, carrying its density without weight.
Terroir and origin
The estate sits at the highest point of Bandol. The vines stand in an amphitheatre of restanques, hand-stacked stone terraces that climb the slope until the view opens onto the Mediterranean. Each step forms its own microclimate. The soil is blue Triassic marl containing prehistoric fossils; from 16 hectares in 1977, the estate has grown to around 50.
Grape variety and vinification
Mourvèdre defines the cuvée, with Cinsault as a complement. Éric de Saint Victor grew up among the barrels, joined the estate in 1989 and has run it since 2000; he sees his wines as a sensual matter, without showiness. Cellar mistress Marie Laroze has worked with the 220 individual parcels since 2008. The gravity-flow cellar was built by Catherine and Henri de Saint Victor.
On the palate
Juicy and cool, with generous fruit expression: sour cherry, blackberry and cassis, followed by liquorice and juniper. The structure is taut and lean, the drinkability considerable. The graphite note draws a linear, cooling thread through the wine, which betrays nothing of its 14.5% ABV or the warm Mediterranean climate it comes from. The finish stays fine-grained and racy.
Food pairings
Sour calf's tongue with lentil-sherry vinaigrette picks up the spice, while ragout of leg of lamb with baby turnips and tomato echoes the dark fruit. For a vegetarian option, roasted aubergine with curry yoghurt, pomegranate and almond is a fine match.
Distinctive features
The magnum gives time to a wine that demands it anyway: Pibarnon's Bandol Rouge needs ten years, sometimes more.
