I have a deep connection to Château Pibarnon’s wines going back many years, one which morphed into obsession after I visited the property in 2013 and had the opportunity to taste many back vintages. Situated at the highest point in the Bandol AOC and accessible by a snaking, single-lane dirt road, this extraordinary property offers one of the most indelible vineyard panoramas I’ve ever seen: to the northeast are coastal mountains surrounding the village of Le Castellet; to the south, the azure blue of the Mediterranean.
Pibarnon’s vineyards are a perfect, south-facing amphitheater surrounded by olives, pines, oaks, and cypresses; it looks like a stage set, and its wines—white, rosé, and red—are perfect snapshots of this special place. And still, today’s 2015 Rouge is a standout. It’s always a standout, actually, but the ’15 edition may be the most complex and refined version of this wine I’ve ever tried. There’s always a little Mediterranean wildness to Bandol Rouge—which I love, and which is here in this wine—but this one adds in a level of polish and elegant balance not always seen. Driven by the Mourvèdre grape and built to age, this is without a doubt one of the most undervalued red wine collectibles on the market (in my experience, seasoned tasters often mistake older vintages of this wine for top Left Bank Bordeaux). If you can find room for a case in your cellar, trust me—this is a gift that will keep on giving for years to come.
Comprised of 90% Mourvèdre and 10% Grenache sourced from vines between 30 and 50 years of age, Pibarnon’s 2015 was fermented on indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks, then aged in a mix of new and used French oak foudres (larger vats) for about 18 months. As noted above, this wine is not as massive as you might expect from the hot, dry 2015 vintage: it is plenty powerful and expressive, but in a more taut, focused way. In the glass, it’s a deep purple/ruby moving to garnet at the rim, with an explosive nose of black currant, black cherry, plum, licorice, violets, leather, olive tapenade, dried herbs, and that inimitable scrub-brushy note of Provençal garrigue. Structurally, it is reminiscent of top Left Bank Bordeaux but its aromas and flavors are resolutely Mediterranean—each sip is more fascinating and evocative than the last. It is medium-plus in body, with a very fine-grained tannic structure that enables it to be enjoyed now: Decant it about 45 minutes before service in large Bordeaux stems and have a second bottle waiting in the wings just in case. As for whatever bottles remain, set them aside and revisit at the 5-, 10- and 15-year marks (I look forward to doing the same!) To eat, I can’t think of anything better than lamb, so I’m reposting the recipe we shared for the 2013 vintage of this wine. It doesn’t get better—especially at this price. Cheers!