2021 Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol Rose Organic, Provence

Light, vivid orange. Mineral-accented citrus pith, red berry and succulent floral and herb scents, along with a spicy topnote. Chewy and sharply focused in the mouth, offering well-concentrated strawberry, bitter cherry, blood orange, honeysuckle and smoky mineral qualities and a deeper suggestion of nectarine. Densely packed, with the mineral and floral notes carrying through a long, precise finish.

92 points Josh Raynolds vinous.com

Organic. Another cracking release, Pibarnon’s distinctive 60:40 Mourvèdre and Cinsault blend was drawn from the Estate’s stunning amphitheatre of terraces (or restanques) set amid the pine-covered hilltop of La Colline du Télégraphe. This is Bandol’s highest vineyard (at 300 metres above the Baie de Bandol) and it enjoys the freshness and cool nights of the altitude as well as the moderating sea breezes. It’s not only the elevation and proximity to the sea that makes this vineyard so special. A peculiar soil type predominates, les marnes bleues; this uncommon and highly chalky, blue-tinted clay, rich in microfossils, is also sometimes encountered in the Jura and Pomerol where it is prized for its low pH, water-retentive properties and its influence on a wine’s freshness and structure.