Bandol Rouge Chateau de Pibaron 2017

Grape variety

90% MOURVEDRE - 10% GRENACHE

Terroir

The soil is made up of clay, limestone and white chalk from the TRIAS geological period. It is the Triassic soil that is responsible for the finesse of the tannins and the minerality of the wine. Surface: 20ha of terraced slopes, a selection of our 12 best plots: Bel Air, Jourdan, Pointes Blanches...planted up to 900 feet/250 metres above sea level. The vines are on average 30 years old.

Winemaking

As the vine, the vatting requested lots of patience. Tannin extract slowly after long days of maceration and punching. Fermentation is followed by a very long Maceration (about 3 weeks) before running off. Breeding in casks of oak for 20 months. Casks park will soon be renewed at 100%. A diversification in choice of Suppliers and barrels of differents ages to best adapt the breeding of each of our terroirs.

Tasting

The 2017 Red is a deep and grand wine of remarkable scale. Its elegance creates a fine balance with the light on the frame and silhouette, making it seem more like a Gothic cathedral than a Romanesque church. On the nose, black fruit and sweet spices are present, but it is recommended to store the wine for a few years so it can reach its full potential.

Vintage

2017 is far from the archetypical 'hot' vintage! The magic of the soil of course, as well as excellent quantities of water, due to the wet winter, have produced a great vintage. The 500 mm of rain that fell up to the end of April managed to get rid of the 2016 drought. Moderate grape production with a naturally low yield (around 30 hl per hectare, which is very little) and the handful of bunches per stem meant that the maturity levels were excellent. The high but deep soils were the finishing touches to the bright and elegant wines.