Tibouren rosé Cuvée Prestige Caroline Cru Classé 2024 Clos Cibonne | Provence

The Clos Cibonne Caroline Cuvée Prestige Tibouren Rosé embodies the wine estate’s quintessential expression of the Tibouren grape. Composed of 90% Tibouren and 10% Grenache, it is the result of a rigorous selection of the finest plots and oldest vines at Clos Cibonne, forty-year-old vines planted on clay-schist soils along the coast at Le Pradet, between Hyères and Toulon. The microclimate of Clos Cibonne is key to the wines’ uniqueness: the proximity to the sea brings a welcome coolness to the vines during the summer months, while their location at the foot of the Maures Mountains ensures ideal east-west ventilation, which is beneficial to the vineyard’s health and the practice of organic farming. Dedicated to Caroline, the granddaughter of Claude and Brigitte Deforges, this exceptional cuvée has been awarded two stars in the Guide Hachette.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin: The Cru Classé Cuvée Prestige Caroline from Clos Cibonne is a masterful demonstration of the excellence of old Tibouren vines on the finest plots of the Côtes de Provence. It resembles a Bandol rosé—more colorful, deeper, and more full-bodied than a classic Côtes de Provence—with a remarkably long, briny finish. It is a top-tier gastronomic rosé that demands time to breathe.

The bouquet reveals aromas of ripe red fruits mingled with spicy notes and blood orange. Upon aeration, notes of apple jelly and quince paste round out this beautifully complex nose, with a hint of vanilla and spice from oak ageing.

The palate is structured and generous, unfolding notes of frangipane and very ripe mango without sacrificing its freshness. The palate is full-bodied, with a particularly fresh vinous character and a beautifully lingering fruity finish. It is a harmonious and substantial rosé.