2019 Clos Cibonne “Tradition” Tibouren Côtes de Provence Rosé is what called a golden standard of the golden standard in Rosé wines world.
It comes from more than the most famous Rosé region in the world – Provence – it comes from one of its most exclusive parts.
Clos Cibonne Story
The Clos Cibonne was named after its first owner Jean-Baptiste de Cibon, captain of Louis XVI’s Royal Navy. Interestingly, Jean-Baptiste played an instrumental role in the American Revolutionary War against the British while serving under the command of Lafayette. 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, including the Roux family. They still have a few bottles in the cellar made under the Château Cibon label in the late 1800s. After Jean-Baptiste died in 1797, the property was sold to the Roux family’s ancestors.
In the 1930s, André Roux planted the vineyard exclusively to the rare Tibouren grape varietal, creating the iconic labels that remain unchanged today. This revival ignited an era of fame for the rosés of Clos Cibonne, which led to their inclusion in a 1950’s classification of 18 Cru Classés in Côtes de Provence. André Roux was also instrumental in creating the Côtes de Provence appellation in 1973 and championed his beloved Tibouren grape to be included in the region’s list of accepted grape varieties.
Since then, children and grandchildren have carried on the Roux family winemaking tradition.
2019 Tibouren Clos Cibonne Rosé
In the Bottle
2019 Clos Cibonne Rosé is a unique blend of 90% Tibouren and 10% of more familiar Grenache grape.
The fruit for this wine came from a bowl-shaped sea-facing hillside vineyard located 800 meters from the coast. This topography creates air circulation, allowing for the grapes’ ideal maturation.
The grapes are harvested by hand, and the wines are directly pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain the freshness of the fruit. The wine is then aged under Fleurette (a thin veil of yeast, similar to the process in Sherry or Jura wines) in 120-year-old, 1,200-gallon foudres (barrels) for a year.
Clos Cibonne combines a rare grape with a unique aging process, creating wine in its own category.
So do you feel like tasting wine with a bit of 100-year history in every sip?
In the Glass
The pale copper color of 2019 Clos Cibonne “Tradition” Tibouren made us think of an “orange wine” than a Rosé.
The organoleptic qualities of Clos Cibonne were also unlike any other Rosé we had tasted before. It was consistent from aromas to flavors with red apple and apple cider, dried apples, butterscotch, and Calvados.
The ripe lemon and almost salty savory flavors reminded us of dry Sherry wines like Olorosso or Fino. That Fleurette from 120-year-old barrels coming through and through.
Aftertaste
The lengthy finish is filled with everything apple: chips, butter, and custard. 2019 Clos Cibonne “Tradition” Tibouren is a unique Rosé not just worldwide but for the Provence itself and not just because of its flavors but for the ability to improve with aging, which is quite rare for Rosé.
Thanks to its profile, it fits somewhere between Rosé, Orange wine, a light version of Sherry, and Calvados.
Quite impressive, come to think of it!
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