Clos Cibonne - Tibouren - Cuvée Spéciale Rouge 2021
Clos Cibonne is located in Le Pradet, in Provence. The name refers to Jean-Baptiste de Cibon, captain of the Royal Navy under Louis XVI and former owner of the estate. When he died in 1797, the property was sold to the ancestors of the Roux Family. Marius Roux, born in 1850, inherited the estate from his mother. He helped to maintain it for many years by cultivating citrus fruits, flowers and already some grape varieties. In 1930, his son, André, took over the estate and through his perseverance gave the foundations and notoriety of Clos Cibonne. Quickly in the 1935s, he gradually stopped growing flowers and citrus fruits to devote his life to the vine. It was at this time that he had the audacity to plant a very old grape variety that he rediscovered: Tibouren. His commitment will allow him to be rewarded in 1955 by a ministerial decree classifying 18 estates including Clos Cibonne and authorising winegrowers to use the appellation "Cru Classé". When he died in 1989, André Roux left the property to his daughter Jacqueline who, with her husband Emile Mourchou, would take care of the estate for 15 years. For Emile, this return to the land is a new challenge. At 60, he put all his ardor into restructuring the estate by buying land, replanting Tibouren and developing a new cellar corresponding to the needs of modern viticulture. Since 2003, his daughter Brigitte and his son-in-law Claude Deforges have taken over the estate. The vineyard is managed in a sustainable agriculture process.
The Cuvée Spéciale Rouge is a blend of Tibouren (90%) and Grenache (10%) from plots of Tibouren that are on average 20 years old. The bunches of grapes are harvested with good maturity and then destemmed before being vinified in stainless steel vats. For about ten days, pumping over twice a day is carried out in order to homogenise the tank and to promote the diffusion of phenolic compounds and aromas. The wine is aged for 4 to 6 months in foudres.
Grape varieties: 90% Tibouren, 10% Grenache
