Vanessa

9.2

🐟 What would you pair with grilled swordfish?

🍇 Tonight we’re opting for a rosé based almost entirely on the Tibouren grape. When it comes to Tibouren, Clos Cibonne is always an exceptional choice. 👌

Clos Cibonne is an iconic producer in Provence, France 🇫🇷 considered a guardian (and certainly a champion) of the ancient Tibouren grape, a rare variety with roots linking back to Mesopotamia.

🌿 Tibouren has a wild, rustic structure and is often used in the production of pale, perfumed, herbal, and unmistakably coastal rosés.

🍾 This particular bottling is the “Cuvée Spéciale des Vignettes” made with fruit coming from some of the oldest Tibouren parcels on the Clos Cibonne estate (60+ years in age), lending depth and complexity and a runway for serious longevity.

🥂 Clos Cibonne also holds a coveted title as a “Cru Classé” wine based on the 1950s classification within the Côtes de Provence AOC. Its wines are among the most admired in the region.

🪵 Something that sets this rosé apart is that it’s aged under a fleurette — a thin veil of yeast (similar to the flor in Sherry) — in large, neutral oak foudres, creating a savory, textural, almost oxidative nuance that’s distinctively delicious.

🍽️ It’s a beautiful pairing with our grilled swordfish over thinly sliced heirloom tomatoes , cucumbers 🥒 , arugula and feta topped with a caper-olive relish.

🍓 The delicate red fruit, savory, dried herb (garrigue) and saline elements of the wine complement the flavors of the meal in wonderful harmony.

Cheers to the practice of food & wine pairing — may it be a lifelong endeavor!! — 16 days ago

with Deked1

Joseph Gannon

9.5

fantastic rose — 4 years ago

with Brooke

Bob McDonald

9.5

Consistent notes from February 2019. Molasses Caramel etc and ultra smooth. A top quality rum from Nicaragua. Great minerality from all the old lava flows in that country where the sugar cane grows. 18 years old. — 6 years ago

AnneMarie Girard

9.0

Love this wine. Fruity. Rosso Wine shop — 6 years ago

John Bjorklund

9.0

Lovely and smooth garnacha with some fruit, slight acid and pepper. Perfect with a steak and Frank Sinatra. Enjoy! — 7 years ago

Christine Speidel

9.0

Good chilled, a bit of funk, juicy — 8 years ago

KA

9.2

Monsieur Dior Beverly Hills — 4 months ago

Enrique

9.2

Intenso, profundo, fruta negra — 7 months ago

AnneMarie Girard

9.1

Mission Wines — 4 years ago

Roman Ochocki

9.1

A dark chocolate, coffee and sweet dark fruit. Very good. — 5 years ago

Nancy Schnur

9.1

Not sure where it was purchased or the price — 6 years ago

Eric Kememes

9.1

Tasting at SR — 6 years ago

Kerry Bunting

8.9

Very drinkable. Enjoyable w/ or w/o food. Had once w/ jamon & once w/ tomato/waterlemon salad. Snacking while drinking. Tastes of light skinned fruits. Cherries/strawberries. Smells earthy. — 7 years ago

Mike Gibbons

10

Full bodied. Great value. — 8 years ago

Day Watson

9.1

Slightly chill before drinking. Floral, blackberry and spice. Some tannin. Medium bodied. Acid. Good summer red option or lunch/brunch. Paired well with aged cheeses, blackberries. Winner of tonight’s tasting. — 6 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Pingus, named after childhood nickname, deep Ruby with concentrated dark fruit aromas and gently smoky notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and plum, licorice, sweet vanilla spice, well balanced, fine grainy tannins, long finish ending with slight oaky tones. Very Nice! — 8 months ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.4

Nica Libre!

94 points — 4 years ago

Vanessa

8.9

When the weather is in the 80s, an aquatic happy hour is in order!

We’re excited to try this rosé, made primarily from the Tibouren grape, coming from the Côtes de Provence AOC of France.

Clos Cibonne has been in the loving hands of the Roux family since 1793. Due to the hard work and dedication of this family, the vineyard from which this wine comes was among the 18 designated “Cru Classés” in the Côtes de Provence 1950 classification, an indication of its quality. You may attribute Tibouren’s inclusion in the list of legally-permissible varieties in the Côtes de Provence AOC to the Roux family, as well.

This rosé is 90% Tibouren and 10% Grenache. It was made by direct press, giving it a paler hue, fermented in stainless steel, and aged biologically for 12 months in large, 100-year-old oak foudres under a thin layer of yeast (known as a “fleurette”), a process similar to that used to create Fino Sherry in Spain (where the “fleurette” is called the “flor”).

The result is a crisp, elegant expression with delicate lemon, gooseberry, white peach, chamomile, blanched almond, and clay notes. It also has a savory element that I’m having a hard time putting my finger on, perhaps it’s soft white cheese, along with great structure and texture.

Clos Cibonne, Tibouren, Cru Classé, Côtes de Provence, Vintage 2018, ABV 13.5%. — 5 years ago

with Deked1

James Haskins

9.3

Lovely smooth taste! One of the best Pinot Noirs I have enjoyed ! — 7 years ago

Alex Barker

9.8

Love it, everything that’s good about Chilean affordable wine. — 7 years ago