Clos Cibonne - Côtes de Provence Rosé 'Tibouren' 2023

Clos Cibonne’s iconic Cuvée Tradition stands uniquely apart from other rosés as a classic, one-of-a-kind Côtes de Provence rosé featuring the tibouren grape in the lead role. Cuvée Tradition is legendary amongst experienced French wine collectors for its texture, substance, and ability to age gracefully for a decade or more. It is a limited wine made exclusively with estate-grown, organic tibouren grapes, and a bit of grenache to meet Côtes de Provence blending guidelines.

The vineyard, one of 18 Crus Classés of Côtes de Provence, consists of traditional goblet trained vines located close to the Mediterranean Sea in the foothills of the Maures mountains, overlooking Toulon’s harbor. The microclimate of Clos Cibonne is especially important to the uniqueness of the wines, as the proximity of the ocean brings much needed cool air to the vineyards in the summer months. Their location at the foot of the Maures mountains ensures good east-west ventilation, which is ideal for the health and balance of the vineyard. 

Tibouren is believed to be a very old grape variety, originally grown in Mesopotamia and propagated by the Greeks before being transported by the Romans to Italy, where it’s found in the Liguria region today under the name rossese.

Clos Cibonne’s 24 hectares of traditional, goblet-trained tibouren are located just 800 meters from the coast, surrounded by hillsides. The drying winds of the mistral that sweep over the estate make it perfect for the finicky tibouren, whose thin skins require a lot of ventilation to avoid issues with rot.

After harvesting by hand, the wines are directly pressed and fermented in stainless steel. The wine is then aged under fleurette (a thin covering of yeast, similar to the process in Jerez or the Jura) in 120-year-old, 5,000L foudres for one year. The resulting wines have impeccable balance & freshness, with incredible structure and superb drinkability over many years.

Producer: Clos Cibonne

Country: France

Region: Provence

Varietal: Tibouren, Grenache

Appellation: Côtes de Provence

Vintage: 2023

Size: 750ml