2024 Clos Cibonne Tradition Rose Provence

The 2024 Rose Cuvee Tradition is a wild, exotic wine. Aged sous-voile in foudre for one year, this blend of 90% Tibouren and 10% Grenache unleashes a heady array of beeswax, stewed peach, chamomile, toasted bread and wild herbs. It’s a waxy, enveloping, utterly distinctive Rose that is very much on the cerebral side, and also pushing the limits of VA. Quite honestly, the Tradition is unlike anything else I’ve ever tasted. Readers who haven’t tasted these wines before owe it to themselves to do so. 91 points

Dark golden salmon pink. Discreet dried apricot aromas. On the palate the dried apricot fruit is rich and intense, giving an impression of sweetness. There are soft nutty flavours, with a hint of almost jammy richness held together with the fine sourness of marmalade and fresh citrus confit. I have never had medlars and cream but somehow that springs to mind. Evocative of mellow sunshine and ripe autumn fruit, rich, intense but also so amazingly fresh and mouthwatering with long vibrant acidity and maybe a touch of autumn raspberries peeking through. 94 points