From Aix-en-Provence: Half-day Sidecar Wine Tour
Leave Aix-en-Provence aboard a vintage sidecar and discover the legendary Sainte-Victoire mountain, Cézanne’s muse, along with charming villages and local wine tastings.
Structure
Drinking window
Best 8 to 30 years from vintage.
vintage8 yrs30 yrs32 yrs
Critic scores
No critic score is published for this bottle that we can cite with a reviewer, a vintage and a review year, so none is shown. The rating in the header is our own.
In the glass
Aroma: blueberry, violet, myrtle, cocoa nib
Palate: black cherry, graphite, blood orange, savoury herb
Mourvedre-dominant Bandol from the estate's high amphitheatre terraces at La Cadiere. Cooler-altitude expression with violet, blueberry and cocoa, set against a firm graphite backbone that ages for two decades.
What it pairs with
-
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder
Pibarnon's blueberry and cocoa lift balance lamb's fat; firm tannins handle the long-cooked meat. -
Duck breast with juniper
The wine's myrtle and graphite notes echo the gamey-juniper register of seared duck. -
Hard pecorino with truffle honey
Cocoa and dark-fruit depth pair with aged sheep's-milk salt; the truffle adds umami the wine welcomes. -
Wild boar stew with chestnut
Pibarnon's savoury herb register matches Provencal game stew; the wine's structure carries the long braise.
History
Count Henri de Saint Victor bought the estate in 1977 and replanted the high amphitheatre terraces at 300 metres altitude. The 1978 vintage marked the first bottling under his ownership; the cuvee re-established the high-altitude expression of Bandol.
- 1977: Saint Victor family acquires the estate, beginning replanting
- 1978: First Pibarnon Rouge under family ownership
- 2018: 40th anniversary vintage, marked by retrospective tastings in trade press
Facts
- Producer
- Chateau de Pibarnon · visiting guide
- Grapes
- Mourvedre (90%), Cinsault
- Classification
- AOC Bandol
- Oak
- 18 to 20 months in large old oak foudres, no new oak
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- EUR 55 to 85 at retail
- Drinking window
- 8-30 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1978
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol Rouge
What does Pibarnon Rouge taste like?
Blueberry, violet, myrtle and cocoa nib on the nose; black cherry, graphite, blood orange and savoury herb on the palate. Full-bodied with firm tannins, high acidity and a long savoury finish.
When should I drink Pibarnon Rouge?
Drink between 8 and 30 years from vintage. The high-altitude amphitheatre site gives a slightly more refined tannin frame than valley-floor Bandol, so the wine often shows well from year 8 to 10.
Is Pibarnon Rouge vegan?
Yes. Pibarnon does not use animal-derived fining agents on its reds, though the estate does not pursue formal vegan certification.
What food pairs with Pibarnon Rouge?
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder is the canonical pairing; Pibarnon's blueberry and cocoa balance the fat. Duck breast with juniper, aged pecorino and wild boar stew are equally strong matches.
What makes Pibarnon distinctive within Bandol?
The estate's vineyards sit at around 300 metres altitude on south-facing limestone terraces above La Cadiere d'Azur, the highest in AOC Bandol. The elevation gives a cooler-climate Mourvedre with more aromatic lift than valley-floor sites.
Tags
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