2013 Domaine de Trévallon Rouge, Alpilles, Provence
Critics reviews
The 2013 Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Alpilles is rock solid in the vintage. Fresh, lively notes of dark fruits, peppery herbs, sous bois, and hints of cedar flow to a medium-bodied, silky, moderately concentrated, yet balanced, and lengthy beauty. It doesn’t have the density or weight of a top vintage, yet it shines for its purity and elegance. Drink it anytime over the coming decade.
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (July 2018)
About this WINE
Domaine de Trevallon
René Dürrbach, painter, sculptor and friend to Picasso, purchased Domaine de Trévallon in 1955 so that he would be able to retire in a more peaceful area. He always believed that the encompassing scrubland would be capable of producing fine wines.
In 1973 Eloi Dürrbach moved from Paris after studying architecture, to create a winery on his parents' property. He had to dynamite part of the hills surrounding the domaine to create the vineyard in the heart of this extraordinary landscape, halfway between Garrigue and Limestone.
The vineyard of 20 hectares is made up of a large number of small plots, all located within a 2 km radius of the winery. The vines are cultivated naturally, in accordance with time-honoured tradition, without the use of insecticides, chemical fertilizers or herbicides.
Domaine de Trévallon is located in the Medieval town of Les Baux-de-Provence, 30 km due south of Avignon, marginally closer to another photogenic Roman out-post: Arles. The proximity to the Southern Rhône in vinous terms is an important qualitative indication, but one must also underline the inherent differences, and stress the nuances and genius that have allowed Eloi Durrbach to make the greatest of all Provençal wines. Whereas Châteauneuf du Pape glories in heady Grenache and brooding Mourvèdre, Trevallon is an equal partnership of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Cabernet has found a natural homestead in the relative altitude of the slopes of the Alpilles, its generous black fruit core held in counterpoint by the purity and focus of the Syrah.
The assemblage aroused suspicion in the authorities and in 1993 the wine was effectively down-graded from an Appellation Contrôleé Coteaux de Baux en Provence to the seemingly humble Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône. Eloi was unmoved; he knew that the blend was the right one and that Trevallon would quickly take its place at the High Table of great Vin de Pays of the world, where, despite impressive competition, it has held court with great eloquence ever since.
Provence
The Roman poet Martial once condemned the wines of Provence’s capital Marseilles as “terrible poisons, and never sold at a good price”. Fortunately, this harrowing proclamation was born of envy.
Quite how long winemaking has been going on in Provence is a matter of historical debate, but it is thought that it dates back as far as the Greek founding of Massilia (now Marseilles) in 600 BC.
Although Rome tried to curtail the production of wine here so as to favour exports of Italian goods throughout the Empire, soldiers retiring from the legions undermined them by privately continuing to grow grapes in this area of France they called Provincia Nostra (‘our province’).
Like other areas in the Mediterranean, Provence has played host to a series of cultures during its history, and each one has added its own touch to the region’s winemaking, particularly in terms of grape varieties. Simply listing some of the grapes found in the province gives a good idea of this variance, as they include Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache (the most planted), Ugni Blanc, Clairette, the indigenous Calitor, Barbaroux, Rolle (Vermentino) and Sémillon, amongst others.
Provence, to the east of Languedoc-Rousillon,is blessed with a Mediterranean climate, entailing warm summers and mild winters. With an annual average of up to 3,000 hours, excessive sun is a concern for many vines. Fortunately the heat is alleviated by the northerly mistral wind, and the risk of fungal diseases is minimal – which makes Provence suitable for organic viticulture.
The region is predominantly known for its rosé wines, which account for over half of Provençal production and are usually dry. The tiny enclave of Cassis stands out as a predominantly white wine region.
Provence’s Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) are:
- Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence
- Les Baux-de-Provence
- Coteaux Varois
- Côtes de Provence (the largest appellation)
- Bandol
- Cassis
- Bellet
- Palette
Vin de pays is also produced throughout the region.
Other Varieties
There are over 200 different grape varieties used in modern wine making (from a total of over 1000). Most lesser known blends and varieties are traditional to specific parts of the world.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Domaine de Trévallon is located in the medieval town of Les Baux-de-Provence, 30km due south of Avignon, relatively close to the Southern Rhône, but, whereas Châteauneuf-du-Pape glories in heady Grenache and brooding Mourvèdre, Trévallon is an equal partnership of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Cabernet has found a natural homestead in the relative altitude of the slopes of the Alpilles, its generous black fruit core held in counterpoint by the purity and focus of the Syrah.
An idiosyncratic wine, with mint, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, and ripe blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaf on the nose. The palate is superbly balanced, with reams of ripe cassis fruit, full-bodied, but fresh and lively. It has a precision and elegance one would not expect from a Southern French wine. The tannins are ripe and chalky, which is a nice foil to the ripe fruit palate.
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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