Chateau de Pibarnon

Bandol Rouge 2018

This is Pibarnon’s top wine, and one of the great mountain Bandols—a blend of 90% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache 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 (sitting 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. This is called les marnes bleues—a highly chalky, blue tinted clay that is rich in microfossils. It is also sometimes encountered in the Jura and Pomerol where it is also prized for its alkaline, water-retentive properties and its influence on the wine’s freshness and structure.