Clos Cibonne Cotes de Provence Chateau Cibon Cuvee Marius Rose 2019

Château Cibon Cuvée Marius is a tribute to Marius Roux, the modern founder of Clos Cibonne and defender of the tibouren grape in Provence in the 1800s. Marius Roux, born in 1875, led the estate’s destiny, passing it to his wife Valentine, who inherited the lands around the Castle of Cibonne. It was Marius who first focused the estate solely on wine production. The label is a recreation of the original labels of the late 1800s, when the winery was called Château Cibon. This design predates their iconic labels designed in the 1920s, which still adorn their other cuvées today.

The Chateau Cibon Marius is only made in exceptional years. The label is a recreation of the original labels of the late 1800s, when the winery was called Château Cibon. This design predates their iconic labels designed in the 1920s, which still adorn their other cuvées today. Château Cibon Cuvée Marius is a tribute to Marius Roux, the modern founder of Clos Cibonne and defender of the tibouren grape in Provence in the 1800s. Marius Roux, born in 1875, led the estate’s destiny, passing it to his wife Valentine, who inherited the lands around the Castle of Cibonne. It was Marius who first focused the estate solely on wine production.

The Château Cibon Cuvée Marius is inspired and informed by the incredible vintages of Clos Cibonne, which survived and improved in their cellar from top vintages of decades past. It bears remembrance when drinking the really old wines at Cibonne. Old methods of (slightly) higher alcohols and phenological ripeness, combined with barrel aging, built classic wines with the structure to age and improved for a long time. Utilizing similar techniques, albeit with a modern winemaker’s knowledge and tools, they have managed to craft a beautifully rich and complexly structured wine, built to develop for decades to come with proper time in the cellar.

My Note on the 2018:
The true identity of the Tibouren grape comes through in the wine, with a density unlike any rose I have had except for the best Bandol roses from Tempier, Pradeaux and Pibarnon, and of course Chateau Simone's Palette.  But density alone is not an achievement, it is the complexity, elegance and balance that a wine like Marius carries along with the density, as well as the high potential to age really well.  While a great score, the MW notes below in the Decanter tasting note and score make no sense, this wine never sees new oak as it is aged in huge 2600L used casks!  To me, you get a much better picture with the Vinous tasting note that is reflective of my experience of a delicious rose with a power and grace that has the red berry fruits with spice, a touch of savory and salt, with really nice acidity that keeps things fresh.

95pts Vinous for the 2017
Diaphanous peach skin color. A hugely complex, expansive bouquet evokes ripe, spice-accented red berries, citrus fruits, dried flowers and botanical herbs, with a saline mineral overtone. Stains the palate with vibrant, sharply focused redcurrant, strawberry, blood orange, nectarine candied lavender and honey flavors that show a hint of saltiness and superb depth to go with the wine's energy. Refuses to let up on the penetrating, seamless and mineral-driven finish, which strongly echoes the floral and pit fruit notes.

98pts Decanter for the 2017
This 15ha property overlooking Toulon harbour has been part of the Roux family’s ancestry for almost 230 years. It wasn’t until 1930 that André Roux decided to dedicate the land exclusively to vines, especially the ancient variety Tibouren - not widely planted outside Provence, this is an intensely aromatic black grape with a thin skin, which is notoriously difficult to grow. The family still champions Tibouren, which makes up 90% of its vineyards, and some plots are more than 50 years old. Elizabeth Gabay MW: Orange. Lots of new oak on the nose. New oak on the palate gives richness and oomph. Oranges, dried apricots, long saline mineral acidity balancing new oak. Joanna Simon: Orangey. Deep and complex nose of spice, dried peach and oak. Concentrated, complex, richly textured palate with spicy, dried-flower notes and baking bread; breadth, length and graceful mineral-fresh notes. Rod Smith MW: Oaky and slightly spicy aromas: plenty of honeyed, rich straw, baked fruit underneath. Complex, delicious and deeply flavored with baked citrus, honey and apricot. Good balance and lovely phenolic grip on the finish. Certainly approachable now, but no hurry to drink.