Clos Cibonne is hands down one of the most historic estates in the Côtes de Provence appellation. The Roux family has tended the vines and cellar here for centuries, and their wines are pure catnip to sommeliers and wine geekdom around the world. But as uniquely complex and profound as they are, what they are not is accessible, everyday rosé refreshers. However, this iconic family has that category covered too with their refreshingly drinkable, perfectly balanced “Tentations.” It is essentially a “give the people what they want” wine, and those people are most of us. Except that the Roux clan does not do average, which means they have set about crafting the textbook standard of crisp, bone-dry, Provençal pink euphoria. It’s a wine for everyone, and it’s priced for everyone too. This is the only rosé you need on hand all year long, so stock up before it’s gone!
BONUS: If you are curious about the flagship wine of Clos Cibonne, or if you already love it, we have a few cases available of their 2022 “Tradition.” Aged for 12 months in 1000 liter, 100 year old barrels, this is a rosé like no other. Click HERE to grab a few and find out why we love it!
The story of Clos Cibonne begins in 1797 when the Roux family purchased it from Louis the XVI’s Captain of Royal Marines. Many years later, it was André Roux’s efforts to modernize the winery in the 1930s that ushered in the estate’s golden era. But, after André’s passing, the winery drifted into anonymity and disrepair during the 1980s, until Brigitte, Roux’s granddaughter, took the helm in 1993. She and husband Claude Deforge have worked tirelessly to return the estate to its initial grandeur. They kept André’s hand-drawn label, modernized the stainless steel fermentation tanks, but kept the ancient casks exactly the same. Most importantly, they preserved the old-vine Tibouren vineyards that her grandfather had so painstakingly planted and championed.
Today it is their son Olivier at the helm, and he has continued the practice of marrying history and tradition with innovation and forward thinking. That includes, perhaps most importantly, achieving organic certification for all their estate vineyards in 2019. He has steadfastly maintained the old-school production and cellar for which they are now famous, but he has also branched out with a new label, “Tentations.” As Provençal rosé rocketed up the charts of trendy wine consumption over the past decade plus, Olivier saw many neighbors cash in by selling grapes to the large, industrial scale producers, and he knew he could offer a better option. So he began sourcing fruit from old friends and growers that he trusted, and who farmed sustainably and/or organically. This is combined with estate fruit, including some of their prized Tibouren vines, to produce what we think is hands down the most balanced, complete, and simply refreshing Provençal rosés we have ever tasted.
“Tentations” does not see a lick of aging in any of those giant, old barrels. Instead it ferments and then ages on its lees for a few months entirely in stainless steel tanks, before bottling at peak freshness. The color is a classic, bright, translucent pink with hints of salmon and blood orange, and the palate is zippy and lively, but with just the right amount of texture so it never feels watered down. This is definitely a wine to serve chilled–and an all-purpose stem is ideal though a tumbler would work in a pinch if you were poolside–in order to get the most out of the crunchy strawberry fruit, salted melon, lemon-lime zest, and sea salt flecked minerality that forms the backbone of this ultimate refresher. It’s also great with all kinds of food, from salads and soft cheeses to grilled shellfish, light pastas, and spice heavy Asian classics. Basically you should have a case on hand through the summer and well into the fall . . . stock up!
