2009 Southern France

2009 was hot in the middle of summer, but the Gassac water-table had been well nourished in the Spring and the vines did not have to struggle too much. The Guiberts, pre et fils, have no hesitation in lauding the wine as a worthy companion, when mature, to the 2000, the 1988 and the legendary 1978. Why? Because the conditions allowed ripe fruit and soft tannins whilst not for a moment forsaking the virtues of balance, structure and length. Small grapes with thick skins are reliable qualitative precursors, it seems.

The Cabernet dominates, as always, with the supporting cast made up of Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Tannat, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto and Tempranillo to name but a few. The undulating vineyard is protected by scrub and garrigue, both informing the distinctive taste and adding a real sense of place. The Cabernet is quite reticent at the moment, its tannins primes inter pares.. the latent fruit character will emerge triumphantly after bottling and slowly but surely come into its own. Peonies, wild berries, sousbois and spice (the wine has seen 16 months of new barrique) are the dominant notes at present; but the precise descriptors will evolve as much as the wine over time, taking on even greater complexity and harmony.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)

2009 in the South of France was almost perfect for the vines; the early rain providing energy and fuel, the mid-summer temperatures engendering complexity through their diversity and the late season warmth ensuring a happy coincidence of phenolic and fruit ripeness. Trevallon provides a magnificent illustration of this benevolence, all the more so because the marriage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah requires very specific conditions, with sufficient warmth to ripen the Cabernet skins but diurnal patterns through the season to allow the Syrah to shine through with pellucid purity. The wine succeeds admirably, with the roundhead Cabernet providing a sober framework and the more cavalier Syrah broadening the mouth-feel, harnessing the sweetness and lifting the mood.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)