Clos Cibonne 'Tentations' Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France 2025
Clos Cibonne is one of Provence's most storied estates, dating to 1793 when the Roux family acquired the property from a captain in Louis XVI's royal marines. In the 1930s, André Roux made the pivotal decision to devote the estate almost entirely to Tibouren, an ancient, nearly extinct Provençal grape — a bet that helped earn Clos Cibonne a place among the eighteen Cru Classé estates of Côtes de Provence and later shaped the appellation's rules to protect the variety he loved. Today Olivier Deforges, fifth generation, runs both vineyard and cellar, continuing his family's singular style. Tentations is the estate's accessible, everyday expression — built around young estate Tibouren vines and fruit from longtime grower partners, offering a gateway into the Clos Cibonne style without the extended aging of their flagship cuvées.
WINEMAKER: Olivier Deforges
FARMING: Practicing Organic (the estate's own Tibouren fruit is certified organic since 2019; this cuvée also incorporates purchased fruit from partner growers, so the blend as a whole is farmed organically in practice rather than fully certified)
VARIETY: 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, 15% Tibouren
TERROIR: Côtes de Provence AOC. Tibouren comes from young vines at the Clos Cibonne estate in Le Pradet; the remaining varieties are sourced from grower partners in the villages of La Crau and Carqueiranne, on schist soils.
VINIFICATION: Grapes are direct-pressed, with the must fermented at low temperature in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks — all vinification handled in-house by Olivier Deforges.
AGING: Two months on the lees in stainless steel; unlike the estate's traditional cuvées, this wine skips extended barrel or foudre aging to preserve fresh fruit character.
TASTING NOTES: Bright, brilliant salmon pink. Aromas of blood orange, rhubarb, light sweet cherry, and delicate smoky notes lead to a refreshing, fruit-forward palate with a fine mouthfeel and a subtly fruity-sweet core. The indigenous Tibouren lends an elegantly tart, savory accent on the finish.
FOOD PAIRINGS: Picnic fare, seafood, poultry, and soft cheeses; equally suited to solo aperitif service.
Clos Cibonne 'Tentations' Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France 2025
Clos Cibonne is one of Provence's most storied estates, dating to 1793 when the Roux family acquired the property from a captain in Louis XVI's royal marines. In the 1930s, André Roux made the pivotal decision to devote the estate almost entirely to Tibouren, an ancient, nearly extinct Provençal grape — a bet that helped earn Clos Cibonne a place among the eighteen Cru Classé estates of Côtes de Provence and later shaped the appellation's rules to protect the variety he loved. Today Olivier Deforges, fifth generation, runs both vineyard and cellar, continuing his family's singular style. Tentations is the estate's accessible, everyday expression — built around young estate Tibouren vines and fruit from longtime grower partners, offering a gateway into the Clos Cibonne style without the extended aging of their flagship cuvées.
WINEMAKER: Olivier Deforges
FARMING: Practicing Organic (the estate's own Tibouren fruit is certified organic since 2019; this cuvée also incorporates purchased fruit from partner growers, so the blend as a whole is farmed organically in practice rather than fully certified)
VARIETY: 50% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, 15% Tibouren
TERROIR: Côtes de Provence AOC. Tibouren comes from young vines at the Clos Cibonne estate in Le Pradet; the remaining varieties are sourced from grower partners in the villages of La Crau and Carqueiranne, on schist soils.
VINIFICATION: Grapes are direct-pressed, with the must fermented at low temperature in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks — all vinification handled in-house by Olivier Deforges.
AGING: Two months on the lees in stainless steel; unlike the estate's traditional cuvées, this wine skips extended barrel or foudre aging to preserve fresh fruit character.
TASTING NOTES: Bright, brilliant salmon pink. Aromas of blood orange, rhubarb, light sweet cherry, and delicate smoky notes lead to a refreshing, fruit-forward palate with a fine mouthfeel and a subtly fruity-sweet core. The indigenous Tibouren lends an elegantly tart, savory accent on the finish.
FOOD PAIRINGS: Picnic fare, seafood, poultry, and soft cheeses; equally suited to solo aperitif service.