Clos Cibonne Tradition Tibouren Rouge 2020

Winemaker Olivier Deforges is something of a traditionalist. Instead of making his Provencal wines from the (relatively) new varieties of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, as so many others do, he produces his wine from an ancient, and notoriously difficult grape: Tibouren.

It was his great-grandfather, Marius Roux, who replanted the vineyards with Tibouren after they were decimated by phylloxera, rather than the higher-yielding varieties of his neighbours. The wines are vinified traditionally too, with Olivier using his great-grandfather's methods of maturing in large, 5000L oak foudre. In fact, they are the same casks that Marius used, some of which are more than a century old. Olivier also continues the tradition of only topping up the barrels occasionally, thus encouraging the formation of flor yeast to grow across the surface of the wines, adding complexity and savoury tones.

The vineyards are managed organically, though not certified, with all of the work being carried out by hand. The estate’s 15 hectares of vineyards are located a mere 800 metres from the coast and are surrounded by hillsides in the base of a bowl that faces the sea. This topography creates a beneficial air circulation which extends the growing period whilst cooling the vines.

While Rose is the main focus, Clos Cibonne also make a single red wine from Tibouren (what else?). All of their cuvees are outstanding wines, and some of the most transparent in expressing the Provence terroir - the spices, herbs and salt that you can literally taste on the breeze, fill these wines.