Chateau Cibon, Hommage a Marius, Cotes de Provence Rose, Cru Classe, 2017

Chateau Cibon, Hommage a Marius, Cotes de Provence Rose, Cru Classe, 2017What makes this wine so special it is made from the Tibouren grape. This rare variety is an intensely aromatic black grape with a thin skin, which is notoriously difficult to grow. Tibouren had been in drastic decline since the phylloxera blight. An ancient Mediterranean variety reputedly favoured by Julius Caesar, it was transported over the Alps by Napoleons troops. The estates 15 hectares of vineyards are just 800 meters from the coast and are

What makes this wine so special it is made from the Tibouren grape. This rare variety is an intensely aromatic black grape with a thin skin, which is notoriously difficult to grow. Tibouren had been in drastic decline since the phylloxera blight. An ancient Mediterranean variety reputedly favoured by Julius Caesar, it was transported over the Alps by Napoleon’s troops. The estate’s 15 hectares of vineyards are just 800 meters from the coast and are surrounded by hillsides in the base of a bowl that faces the sea. This topography creates air circulation that allows for perfect maturation of the grapes and helps to reduce vintage variation. 
The Roux family champions Tibouren, which makes up 90% of its vineyards, and some plots are more than 50 years old. This wine is 90% Tibouren, 10% Grenache. The family also ages their wines under fleurette, a thin veil of yeast similar to that found in Jerez and Jura, for a year in large oak casks. The Cuvée Marius is named after Marius Roux. Marius would load his wine in barrel onto his cart and travel to the village every week on market days to sell his special wine.