The Domaine de Trevallon is now so well-known that it is easy to forget that it is not that long ago since it was founded. One of the pioneers of the wine-growing renaissance that took place in the region around Les Baux, Eloi Dürrbach planted the first vines in the Alpilles in 1973. The Herculean task of clearing the scrubland and laying out the plots for the vines then began. The rock was broken up with dynamite, the ground was worked at deep level, mixing the splinters of rock into the soil. At last, in the winter of 1973, Eloi Dürrbach was able to plant his first 3 hectares of vines. He produced his first Trevallon wine from the 1976 harvest.
The Domaine de Trevallon wine estate is located in Saint-Etienne-du-Grès, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, 25 km south of Avignon and 7 km west of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, on the northern slopes of the Alpilles. The Alpilles massif is made of limestone and boasts sharp, jagged crests reminiscent of a “Greek landscape”, as the Provençal poet, Frédéric Mistral, described it. The vines, growing amidst holm oaks, olive and almond trees, blend harmoniously into this enchanted scrub landscape.
The first thing that strikes the visitor as he or she arrives at the Domaine de Trevallon is this limestone rock, dazzlingly white and forming strange, splintered and craggy shapes that stand out against the limpid sky. The contrast between the straight rows of trained vines and the wild folds of rock is quite impressive. “The Alpilles is a magical land,” admits Eloi Dürrbach. “I immediately fell under their charm.”
The Trevallon vineyard covers 17 hectares of this protected zone and surrounds a large, blue-shuttered, Provençal farhouse: 15 hectares of red grapes, made up of equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Plus 2 hectares of white grapes, made up of 45 % Marsanne, 45 % Roussanne and 10 % Chardonnay.
The wine is nearly equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, and is aged in oak for over 2 years, with very little racking. The wine is never filtered, and never corrected for acidity and is fermented with natural yeasts. Very little sulphur is added. Eloi’s philosophy is to do as little as possible.
Drink this wine with herb and garlic roast lamb, a fire-grilled steak, or anything with olives. Drink 2012 – 2025.
