Clos Cibonne ‘Tentations’ Côtes de Provence Rosé 2024

$26.00

Winemaker: Olivier Deforge

Grapes: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Tibouren

From the importer De Maison Selections: 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 heart of the estate is their traditional, goblet-trained tibouren, which is believed to be a very old grape variety, originally grown in Mesopotamia, propagated by the Greeks, before being transported by the Romans to Italy in the Liguria region, where it is known as rossese. Tibouren is a very fine, thin-skinned grape which requires a lot of ventilation to be successful and needs to grow close to the ocean, with lots of ventilation to be successful and avoid issues with rot. All of these requirements make Clos Cibonne the perfect terroir for tibouren, as they are walking distance to the ocean and constantly blasted with the drying winds from the mistral. André Roux was a great fan of this native variety and understood its potential to be the ideal grape for the region. As part of his revitalization, he replaced all of the estate’s mourvèdre with tibouren. Clos Cibonne soon became synonymous with tibouren and received special permission from the A.O.C. to list the grape on its labels.

The estate’s 15 hectares of vineyards are located a mere 800 meters from the coast and are surrounded by hillsides in the base of a bowl that faces the sea. This topography creates air circulation which allows for ideal maturation of the grapes. After harvesting by hand, the wines are directly pressed and fermented in stainless steel. 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, 5,000L foudres for one year. Clos Cibonne crafts a wine that is completely its own through combining a rare grape with a unique aging process. The resulting wines have impeccable balance & freshness, with incredible structure and superb drinkability over many years.

n addition to their traditional estate wines, Clos Cibonne offers their Cibonne Tentations line. Cibonne Tentations offers an accessible, high-quality entry-point into authentic Côtes de Provence Rosé. Tentations is made with exceptional ingredients, including fruit from young tibouren vines at Clos Cibonne, as well as grenache, cinsault, and syrah grown by farmers in prime spots in the villages of La Crau and Carqueiranne, with whom the Deforges family has long-standing relationships. All vinification is done entirely in-house and by the experienced hands of Olivier Deforges. Tentations Rosé is focussed on the expression of fresh fruit and does not undergo the extensive barrel aging process of the traditional Clos Cibonne line. Cibonne ‘Tentations’ represents one of the best quality to value ratios in the Côtes de Provence region.

Winemaker: Olivier Deforge

Grapes: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Tibouren

From the importer De Maison Selections: 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 heart of the estate is their traditional, goblet-trained tibouren, which is believed to be a very old grape variety, originally grown in Mesopotamia, propagated by the Greeks, before being transported by the Romans to Italy in the Liguria region, where it is known as rossese. Tibouren is a very fine, thin-skinned grape which requires a lot of ventilation to be successful and needs to grow close to the ocean, with lots of ventilation to be successful and avoid issues with rot. All of these requirements make Clos Cibonne the perfect terroir for tibouren, as they are walking distance to the ocean and constantly blasted with the drying winds from the mistral. André Roux was a great fan of this native variety and understood its potential to be the ideal grape for the region. As part of his revitalization, he replaced all of the estate’s mourvèdre with tibouren. Clos Cibonne soon became synonymous with tibouren and received special permission from the A.O.C. to list the grape on its labels.

The estate’s 15 hectares of vineyards are located a mere 800 meters from the coast and are surrounded by hillsides in the base of a bowl that faces the sea. This topography creates air circulation which allows for ideal maturation of the grapes. After harvesting by hand, the wines are directly pressed and fermented in stainless steel. 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, 5,000L foudres for one year. Clos Cibonne crafts a wine that is completely its own through combining a rare grape with a unique aging process. The resulting wines have impeccable balance & freshness, with incredible structure and superb drinkability over many years.

n addition to their traditional estate wines, Clos Cibonne offers their Cibonne Tentations line. Cibonne Tentations offers an accessible, high-quality entry-point into authentic Côtes de Provence Rosé. Tentations is made with exceptional ingredients, including fruit from young tibouren vines at Clos Cibonne, as well as grenache, cinsault, and syrah grown by farmers in prime spots in the villages of La Crau and Carqueiranne, with whom the Deforges family has long-standing relationships. All vinification is done entirely in-house and by the experienced hands of Olivier Deforges. Tentations Rosé is focussed on the expression of fresh fruit and does not undergo the extensive barrel aging process of the traditional Clos Cibonne line. Cibonne ‘Tentations’ represents one of the best quality to value ratios in the Côtes de Provence region.