When I visited this property in 2012, I remember the adventure of arriving after what seemed like forever on a one way dirt road. If another car came, one of us had to back up and turn off the road trying not to back into a ditch. Arriving to the estate was a feeling I will never forget; there was a timeless feeling we all had before we were greeted and treated with unbelievable hospitality as we tasted whites, reds and Rosés going back decades. It is one of my favorite visits of my life. What’s most unique about Château de Pibarnon is that the soils of Bandol, the appellation in which they are located, are very different from the rest of the region. The soils were formed during the Quaternary era, dating back 150 million years ago. A unique blend of calcareous soils, concentrated with microfossils, blue clay, essential oils and limestone, makes for distinctive wines. The vines are planted on century-old terraces made of stone, and are facing southeast in a semicircle, amphitheater-like fashion. The elevation is rather high at 1,000 feet—some of the highest vineyards in Bandol—situating the vineyards above the marine fog line; like most Mediterranean climates, cool mornings give way to sun-filled days and moderate nights. The environment that surrounds the vineyards, as well as the vines themselves, are farmed naturally without chemical or weed killers, and local olive, cypress, fig, pine and oak trees contribute to the biodiversity of the land. This region is about as natural and picturesque as it gets, and as a result, the vines are happy and healthy.