Provence – Clos Cibonne Cuvee Prestige Caroline
Drinking Rosé in Provence is truly one of life’s great joys, and getting to go back to do it again and again is definitely a life goal of mine. While on a warm April’s day I along with some of my best friends visited this winery. Although we didn’t have a reservation they took us in, and even though English was not the hosts forte, she did a great job and I was lucky enough to have two of my friends who are native French-speakers be perfect translators. The wines were phenomenal.
Clos Cibonne located in Provence between Toulon and Hyères is named after the original owner of the vines and its history goes back to the 17th century. This current label goes back to the 1930s, when the owner planed Tibouren grapes. Therefore, the Rosés for which they are most known are made up of 90% Tibouren grape and 10% Grenache.
Tibouren is a grape that is mostly grown in Provence, although it is grown in Germany under the name Geysserin. The history of the grape dates back to about 500 BC! It is a black-skinned grape that is mostly used to produce very full-bodied rosés. Not something I typically think of when I think of a Provence style Rosé.
In my humble opinion, Cibonne Tentations makes the most unique and one of the best Rosés on the market. Outside of using the unique Tibouren grape, the wine is aged on the lees for one year. This makes for a rich wine of great balance and a style that is truly its own. This is a wine geeks wine. This is a wine that isn’t just drank on a hot day, but enjoyed with your best BBQ.
There are several different types of Rosé made by this vineyard and a few reds, and I highly suggest that you check them out! FYI – you can find the Rosé in the US I described above for about $30 a bottle, which for the originality of it, is well worth it! Cheers!
