chateau de pibarnon 2017

a small winding road, with magnificent views of the bec de l'aigle or the embiez, leads through the vineyards to the château de pibarnon, located on a hill where the old optical telegraph linking toulon to paris used to be. pibarnon dominates the whole vineyard and even the villages of la cadière and le castellet. it was this extraordinary view that henri and catherine de saint-victor fell in love with nearly 30 years ago. with the energy of new converts, they have gradually expanded the original vineyard, which at the time was only three and a half hectares. the terroir, absolutely unique, could constitute an appellation in itself. indeed, the soil contains a high proportion of limestone from the trias, a very old subsoil that emerged during the emergence of the alps. a geological particularity to which is added the presence of blue marls of santonian, a specificity found in the terroirs of petrus and château d'yquem. the saint-victors quickly exploited this unique terroir by reshaping the hillside. today, the estate has 50 hectares in operation. the vines, which are spread out in a vast amphitheater facing the sea, are punctuated by the famous restanques, the dry stone walls that delimit the terraces. most of them have an excellent exposure: well sheltered from the mistral wind, their orientation towards the south-east favors the slow maturation of the grapes. the estate, now managed by eric de saint-victor, produces mainly red wines from the mourvèdre grape variety. on the exceptional terroir of château de pibarnon, this grape variety, which accounts for 90 to 95% of the wine's composition, is at its best: it produces wines with fine and tight tannins, which unfold in a bouquet of powerful and complex aromas. patience is the key word in this domain: as in the vineyard, the vatting process requires time so that the tannins can be extracted after the long days of maceration punctuated by regular punching downs. fermentation is followed by a three-week vatting period. the wine is then aged in oak barrels for 20 months. the mourvèdre grape variety, which makes up the majority of this cuvée, gives the wine a nice fullness and well-defined tannins. during the tasting, we find notes of wild fruits and sweet spices. it is a wine for long ageing that will mature with time while retaining a typical southern elegance.