2021 Clos Cibonne "Tentations" Côtes de Provence Rosé, Provence, France
ABOUT THIS WINE
2021 was a rollercoaster of a vintage that produced excellent results in the end. To start, Clos Cibonne was fortunately unaffected by the fires in Provence due to their favorable location. Cibonne did see lower yields, though, as a result of the unusual weather patterns of 2021, particularly the April frost which damaged early bud growth in some vineyards. This resulted in a loss of up to 30% of production, but did not affect quality, which is exceptional. Healthy, fully ripe bunches yielded tangy, refreshing fruit with excellent acidity and impressive depth.
The fruit for this cuvée is grown by vigneron neighbors with whom Clos Cibonne has long-standing relationships. The Tibouren comes from the fruit of young vines at Clos Cibonne that does not make it into the estate wine. Grapes are direct-pressed, and the must is fermented at low temperature in stainless steel tanks and aged on the lees for two months.
ABOUT THIS PRODUCER
Clos Cibonne is not only an incredibly original property in Provence, ensconced by the natural beauty of their landscape, producing wines which always transcend the rosé category, but they are also an anomaly within France in general. For centuries, Clos Cibonne has bravely forged their own distinct path. They have held true to a tradition of making age-worthy fine wines which happen to be rosé, in the midst of an appellation which rewards fitting in and churning out the same-but-different rosé wines which are ubiquitous throughout Côtes de Provence. It is this independence and originality that has made Clos Cibonne one of the most sought after cult wineries in France, with demand greatly outpacing their artisan-scale production.
The modern era at Clos Cibonne property began in 1793 when the Roux family purchased it from Jean-Baptiste de Cibon, a captain in the royal marines of Louis XVI. Jean-Baptiste de Cibon served under the command of Lafayette in the American Revolutionary War against the British, playing an instrumental role in that history. Jean-Baptiste moved his family to Gibraltar at the outset of the French Revolutionary War, transferring ownership to the families who had traditionally farmed the estate; the Roux family was one of those farmers. Some bottles still survive at the estate from Marius Roux, who made wines under the Château Cibon label in the late 1800’s at the property.