Arthur Sellers Bulletin Archive
Magee, Jim, Kate and Gypsy Circa 1994 Wherever our travels take us, Hélène and I like to scout out the top vineyards in the area and drop by to sample the latest vintages and hopefully meet the owners. Such was the case when we first visited Provence with our daughters Kate and Magee (not that they were too thrilled with idea, but they got to do what they wanted the following days). According to Robert M. Parker, Jr. in his book ‘The Wines of the Rhône Valley and Provence’ (Simon and Schuster 1987) the number one winery around was Domaine de Trévallon located a few kilometres from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence and Les Baux. Tulip surveying Ostiane, Jim and Eloi The four of us found the large, blue shuttered Provençal farmhouse and rocky vineyards of Domaine de Trévallon, but no signs of life - except for a rambunctious, welcoming black Lab named Gypsy. Before long a pleasant gentleman asked us, with a trace of surprise in his voice, what we were doing there? “We’ve come to try some Domaine de Trévallon and meet the owner,” I said. “Well, I am Eloi Dürrbach and I would be pleased to have you to sample some of my wines.” He was a gracious host and we thoroughly enjoyed several different vintages of his splendid creation. We purchased a few bottles, said our farewells and marvelled at our good fortune. Who could have guessed that sixteen years later, our friend and mentor Christian Esparza would ask us if we would like to represent Domaine de Trévallon in Ontario! You bet. So, improbably we found ourselves back at the domaine this winter sampling new vintages of Eloi’s red elixir as well as a wonderful new white. The white wine wasn’t the only change. The vines were much older giving the reds even more flavour and complexity. Eloi and his wife Floriane have been joined by their son Antoine and daughter Ostiane in the management and operation of the estate. And Tulip has succeeded Gypsy as queen of the domaine. Robert Parker’s comments in 1987 about Domaine de Trévallon hold largely true today: “One of the greatest discoveries of my life has been the wine made at the Domaine de Trévallon. Only an exciting red is made here, though there are plans to eventually produce a white wine. Virtually everything about this compelling wine is unique. Eloi Durrbach, a ruggedly handsome man in his early forties, gave up a promising career in architecture in Paris to create a vineyard out of the lunarlike landscape near the medieval ghost town of Les Baux and the phantomlike, weird Val d’Enfer, or Valley of Hell. These vineyards, planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Syrah, have performed magically since Durrbach produced his first wine in 1978. Durrbach apprenticed under Georges Brunet of Château Vignelaure prior to starting his vineyard, to get, as he says, “some confidence”; he now has 37 acres of vines that seem to grow from the bauxite rock crags of this forbidding, desolate, windswept, surreal area of France. And he intends to expand onto the 101 acres of unplanted land he owns. To taste Durrbach’s staggering wines is to see a progression from very good wines in 1978 (his first vintage), made from four-year-old vines, to something sublime in 1985, produced from eleven-year-old vines. They seem to show greater depth and dimension with each passing year, and the prospects here look to be exhilarating. This is a very special wine worth every effort to find since it belongs in any serious collector’s cellar.” The Trévallon vineyard now covers 42 acres, 37 of which are dedicated equally to the red wine grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and the remaining three to the white wine grapes of Marsanne, Roussanne and a bit of Chardonnay. Please visit the Trévallon website for more details about this fascinating, legendary estate. The Wines of Domaine de Trévallon Here is what Clive Coates, the highly respected English wine writer had to say about Trévallon in ‘The Great Wines of France, 2005’: “Trevallon is not just the greatest wine of Provence but the finest example of a Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The wines are getting more and more noble as the vineyard ages. It is a wine of the garrigues, it is a wine of uncompromising personality and like its origins, it is a wine of no half measures. There is danger here. There is excitement. There is passion.” We are proud to offer you six vintages of the Domaine de Trévallon Rouge: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 (the white has been completely sold out – we are attempting to reserve a little of the yet to be bottled 2009 vintage for our next offering). Each is made exactly the same way from equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon (originally from Château Vignelaure clippings) and Syrah (originally from Château Rayas). Incidentally, Trévallon is classified as Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône – ironically the AOC Baux de Provence permits only 20% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend – and, Eloi isn’t the sort to be dictated to. These cult wines are among the most expensive and highly sought after vin de table in the world! Basically, the difference between the vintages is the result of nature, and of course varying numbers of years in the bottle. All are aged for two or more years in oak. We are also delighted to be able to offer you the Eloi Dürrbach Sampler that contains one bottle of each of the six vintages on offer. All of these wines come in six-bottle wood cases. We will be taking your orders for the extraordinary wines to the LCBO on Wednesday, August 25. You will notice that the Trévallon labels are most distinctive. They were all designed by Eloi’s father, René who died in 1999, aged 89. René, who purchased the Trévallon (three small valleys) estate in 1955 as a holiday home, was a painter and sculptor who counted Fernand Léger, Robert Delaunay and Pablo Picasso among his friends (Eloi is Picasso’s godson). Eloi Dürrbach does not make compromises. He did not feel that the estate’s grapes from the 2002 vintage were up to his rigorous standards, so no Domaine de Trévallon was made that year! These wines seem expensive, but they are truly world class. By comparison, a 2004 Penfolds Grange sells for $499 at the LCBO, a 2006 Antinori Solaia is $244.95 and a 2005 Ch. Haut Brion is a mere $1445. Trévallon is a bargain! Domaine de Trévallon is meant for the cellar where it will rest comfortably for years. The 1999 is just starting to open; the 2007 is almost completely closed. But, no serious cellar should be without it – the Eloi Dürrbach Sampler would be a cornerstone of a great cellar! 2007 Domaine de Trévallon - 13.7% Alc./Vol. $75/$450 per case of six $160 magnum in wood case Notes from the estate: Nothing would have predicted a great vintage; no exceptional weather conditions, no early spring, no hot or dry summer. But right from the start of the harvest, we noticed that the grapes had a lot of flavour and were extraordinarily rich. After the first pressings, we were certain that the 2007 red would be powerful, rich, silky and very smooth. It is a wine with fruit and spice. This wine will be good as soon as it is bottled and for least another 25 years! Additional comments: Sauvignon tannins and an undertow of spice, mineral and dark, dark fruit. All these are present and correct, but it is the sheer quality of fruit that is even more manifest than usual, its beguiling and seductive sweetness now in a youthful stand-off with the darker deeper notes, but promising more by way of complexity and potential than we have the right to expect at this stage. This is the signature of a great estate in a superlative vintage. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer) Order the regular sized bottles now. Order the Magnum now. 2006 Domaine de Trévallon- 13.0% Alc./Vol. $70/$420 per case of six $150 magnum in wood case Notes from the estate: The red 2006 is a surprising vintage, drinkable in spite of its youth, with a silky texture and a red fruits mouth. Additional comments: Eloi Dürrbach is especially pleased with his 2006 Trévallon, a wine which shares the charm and generosity of fruit of a lot of S. Rhônes; indeed it is worth remembering that Baux-de-Provence is only around 25 south of Avignon. A harmonious nose marries red fruits with black truffle, the latent power cloaked by silky elegant tannins, the palate dense and full of potential, but finely-wrought and wonderfully focused. A very fine vin de garde for a decade or more. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer) Order the regular sized bottles now. Order the Magnum now. 2005 Domaine de Trévallon - 13.0% Alc./Vol. $78/$468per case of six Notes from the estate: Ruby color with purple tinge; the nose offers subtle fragrances of blackcurrant and wild raspberry. Soon spicy notes appear of "herbes de Provence", liquorice and roasted coffee. In mouth, the first impression is a lovely freshness. It is full, round and dense with pronounced tannins at the moment. The finish is full and elegant promising a beautiful wine. Additional Comments: All blackcurrants and raspberries at present, with a lovely fruit pastille sweetness to the fruit, remarkably fine tannins and lovely acidity – a wine with superb balance. Opens out beautifully in the glass, with a touch of pepper and herby garrigue to compliment the intense fruit flavours. Although it needs time to knit together a bit more and gain complexity, this will be a delicious medium-to-long term drinker (say over the next 10 to 12 years or so). A lovely wine. (Leon Stolarski Fine Wines) Order now. 2004 Domaine de Trévallon - 13.0% Alc./Vol. $73/$438 per case of six Notes from the estate: September 2007 - Great maturity with black fruits and sweet spicy touches. The wine is full and together with juicy fruit and a velvety texture. We advise waiting for five or six years before drinking. Additional Comments: Black cherry colour. The nose has lovely depth and complexity of fruit - some sweet cigar box notes along with blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaves. Elements of both Cabernet and Syrah showing on the palate, with black fruits and spice and lots of complexity, but with a very youthful, tight structure. This has tannins, fruit and acidity in abundance – all the structure necessary for longevity, though it may take longer to come round than the 2005. This will start to drink well in 3 to 5 years and evolve nicely for 15 or more. A classic Trévallon for the long haul. (Leon Stolarski Fine Wines) Dark and opaque, this brooding and rich wine is fresh and dense with notes of sweet black cherry, blueberry and cinnamon. Profound and pure, its palate is powerful but still exceptionally balanced. It finishes pure and focused. An excellent 'classically' styled, velvety wine that will develop nicely over the years to come. Order now. 2003 Domaine de Trévallon - 13.0% Alc./Vol. $73/$438 per case of six Notes from the estate: On the nose, it is delicate and powerful - reminiscent of red fruits marinated in alcohol. On the palate, it is fresh and aromatic, with an aftertaste of milk chocolate. Additional comments: Look – Dark and concentrated dark purple with an inky and dark core and color that fades just slightly to garnet along the edges. When swirled, a ring of color clings to the edge of the glass, gathering, then streaking down into fast thin legs. Smell – Initially a little tight on the nose, but when you give this wine time, aromas of sweet, fresh and ripe fruit, including red cherry and blackberry emerge framed with spice, a touch of oak and floral notes and hints of black licorice. Feel – This full-bodied and dry wine has an exceptional structure with finely etched firm tannins, a solid mineral character, a spicy kick and bright acidity that buttresses the flavors of this wine through to the finish. Taste – Classic rich Cabernet and bold Syrah flavors presented with elegant old-world character. Fresh, pure and tart fruit including red cherry and blackberry with complex earthy wild bramble notes, spice, white pepper and a touch of oak and licorice. Finish – This wine’s dry and fine grained tannins linger long into the finish providing solid texture for the lasting ripe and tart fruit, spice and minerality. Conclusion – The 2003 Domaine Trévallon Vin De Pays Des Bouches Du Rhone Rouge doesn’t disappoint. From a unique vintage, comes a most unique wine. Simply stated, if you are a lover of French wine, this one belongs in your cellar. This serious wine is just now starting to show its potential, and perhaps it’s still too young, this wine’s old-world character and its out of the box varietal blending gives you a wine of great depth, power and finesse. Drink now or hold for up to 10+ years. Wine Spies Order now. 2000 Domaine de Trévallon - 12.5% Alc./Vol. $80/$480 per case of six Notes from the Estate June 2010 - A mixture of finesse and power, fine and deep, still so young with red fruits on the nose, a refined and elegant charmer of a wine. November 2007 - Fine, deep, still youthful. Nose shows more red than black fruit. Very elegant palate aromas, delicate, great finesse. An attractive wine now starting to show its depth and elegance. Needs several years to refine and evolve. April 2005 - The most balanced and elegant of all the Trévallon reds, it boasts a blend of finesse and strength. A great deal of acidity, Will be at its peak in 10 to 15 years. Additional Comments: Entering its second phase of excellence, the 2000 Trévallon, one of the top three wines in Provence (as adjudicated by the Revue Des Vins de France in May 2009, although pretty obvious to everyone in any case) is a real treat. The 2000 is a fantastic Trévallon, fruits of the labours of a warm and generous year. Notes of truffle, violets and hints of tobacco with, waiting to emerge, sousbois and liqueur - so far so good. Then the palate with its disarming freshness, its intimations of youth, its fine balance and sense of harmony. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer) Order now. Eloi Dürrbach Sampler $75/$450 per case of six One bottle each of the 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2000 Domaine de Trévallon packaged in a wooden case. This is a must for any proper cellar and a magnificent gift for the serious collector. Order now. Please note that the above prices include a one dollar per bottle handling fee. Please pass this note on to anyone you think would like to add some very, very special wine to their cellar. Many thanks and cheers, Jim & Hélène www.arthursellers.com jaswalker@arthursellers.com hbuisson@ofrance.ca
Tulip surveying Ostiane, Jim and Eloi The four of us found the large, blue shuttered Provençal farmhouse and rocky vineyards of Domaine de Trévallon, but no signs of life - except for a rambunctious, welcoming black Lab named Gypsy. Before long a pleasant gentleman asked us, with a trace of surprise in his voice, what we were doing there? “We’ve come to try some Domaine de Trévallon and meet the owner,” I said. “Well, I am Eloi Dürrbach and I would be pleased to have you to sample some of my wines.” He was a gracious host and we thoroughly enjoyed several different vintages of his splendid creation. We purchased a few bottles, said our farewells and marvelled at our good fortune. Who could have guessed that sixteen years later, our friend and mentor Christian Esparza would ask us if we would like to represent Domaine de Trévallon in Ontario! You bet. So, improbably we found ourselves back at the domaine this winter sampling new vintages of Eloi’s red elixir as well as a wonderful new white. The white wine wasn’t the only change. The vines were much older giving the reds even more flavour and complexity. Eloi and his wife Floriane have been joined by their son Antoine and daughter Ostiane in the management and operation of the estate. And Tulip has succeeded Gypsy as queen of the domaine. Robert Parker’s comments in 1987 about Domaine de Trévallon hold largely true today: “One of the greatest discoveries of my life has been the wine made at the Domaine de Trévallon. Only an exciting red is made here, though there are plans to eventually produce a white wine. Virtually everything about this compelling wine is unique. Eloi Durrbach, a ruggedly handsome man in his early forties, gave up a promising career in architecture in Paris to create a vineyard out of the lunarlike landscape near the medieval ghost town of Les Baux and the phantomlike, weird Val d’Enfer, or Valley of Hell. These vineyards, planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Syrah, have performed magically since Durrbach produced his first wine in 1978. Durrbach apprenticed under Georges Brunet of Château Vignelaure prior to starting his vineyard, to get, as he says, “some confidence”; he now has 37 acres of vines that seem to grow from the bauxite rock crags of this forbidding, desolate, windswept, surreal area of France. And he intends to expand onto the 101 acres of unplanted land he owns. To taste Durrbach’s staggering wines is to see a progression from very good wines in 1978 (his first vintage), made from four-year-old vines, to something sublime in 1985, produced from eleven-year-old vines. They seem to show greater depth and dimension with each passing year, and the prospects here look to be exhilarating. This is a very special wine worth every effort to find since it belongs in any serious collector’s cellar.” The Trévallon vineyard now covers 42 acres, 37 of which are dedicated equally to the red wine grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and the remaining three to the white wine grapes of Marsanne, Roussanne and a bit of Chardonnay. Please visit the Trévallon website for more details about this fascinating, legendary estate. The Wines of Domaine de Trévallon Here is what Clive Coates, the highly respected English wine writer had to say about Trévallon in ‘The Great Wines of France, 2005’: “Trevallon is not just the greatest wine of Provence but the finest example of a Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The wines are getting more and more noble as the vineyard ages. It is a wine of the garrigues, it is a wine of uncompromising personality and like its origins, it is a wine of no half measures. There is danger here. There is excitement. There is passion.” We are proud to offer you six vintages of the Domaine de Trévallon Rouge: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 (the white has been completely sold out – we are attempting to reserve a little of the yet to be bottled 2009 vintage for our next offering). Each is made exactly the same way from equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon (originally from Château Vignelaure clippings) and Syrah (originally from Château Rayas). Incidentally, Trévallon is classified as Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône – ironically the AOC Baux de Provence permits only 20% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend – and, Eloi isn’t the sort to be dictated to. These cult wines are among the most expensive and highly sought after vin de table in the world! Basically, the difference between the vintages is the result of nature, and of course varying numbers of years in the bottle. All are aged for two or more years in oak. We are also delighted to be able to offer you the Eloi Dürrbach Sampler that contains one bottle of each of the six vintages on offer. All of these wines come in six-bottle wood cases. We will be taking your orders for the extraordinary wines to the LCBO on Wednesday, August 25. You will notice that the Trévallon labels are most distinctive. They were all designed by Eloi’s father, René who died in 1999, aged 89. René, who purchased the Trévallon (three small valleys) estate in 1955 as a holiday home, was a painter and sculptor who counted Fernand Léger, Robert Delaunay and Pablo Picasso among his friends (Eloi is Picasso’s godson). Eloi Dürrbach does not make compromises. He did not feel that the estate’s grapes from the 2002 vintage were up to his rigorous standards, so no Domaine de Trévallon was made that year! These wines seem expensive, but they are truly world class. By comparison, a 2004 Penfolds Grange sells for $499 at the LCBO, a 2006 Antinori Solaia is $244.95 and a 2005 Ch. Haut Brion is a mere $1445. Trévallon is a bargain! Domaine de Trévallon is meant for the cellar where it will rest comfortably for years. The 1999 is just starting to open; the 2007 is almost completely closed. But, no serious cellar should be without it – the Eloi Dürrbach Sampler would be a cornerstone of a great cellar! 2007 Domaine de Trévallon - 13.7% Alc./Vol. $75/$450 per case of six $160 magnum in wood case Notes from the estate: Nothing would have predicted a great vintage; no exceptional weather conditions, no early spring, no hot or dry summer. But right from the start of the harvest, we noticed that the grapes had a lot of flavour and were extraordinarily rich. After the first pressings, we were certain that the 2007 red would be powerful, rich, silky and very smooth. It is a wine with fruit and spice. This wine will be good as soon as it is bottled and for least another 25 years! Additional comments: Sauvignon tannins and an undertow of spice, mineral and dark, dark fruit. All these are present and correct, but it is the sheer quality of fruit that is even more manifest than usual, its beguiling and seductive sweetness now in a youthful stand-off with the darker deeper notes, but promising more by way of complexity and potential than we have the right to expect at this stage. This is the signature of a great estate in a superlative vintage. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer) Order the regular sized bottles now. Order the Magnum now. 2006 Domaine de Trévallon- 13.0% Alc./Vol. $70/$420 per case of six $150 magnum in wood case Notes from the estate: The red 2006 is a surprising vintage, drinkable in spite of its youth, with a silky texture and a red fruits mouth. Additional comments: Eloi Dürrbach is especially pleased with his 2006 Trévallon, a wine which shares the charm and generosity of fruit of a lot of S. Rhônes; indeed it is worth remembering that Baux-de-Provence is only around 25 south of Avignon. A harmonious nose marries red fruits with black truffle, the latent power cloaked by silky elegant tannins, the palate dense and full of potential, but finely-wrought and wonderfully focused. A very fine vin de garde for a decade or more. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer) Order the regular sized bottles now. Order the Magnum now. 2005 Domaine de Trévallon - 13.0% Alc./Vol. $78/$468per case of six Notes from the estate: Ruby color with purple tinge; the nose offers subtle fragrances of blackcurrant and wild raspberry. Soon spicy notes appear of "herbes de Provence", liquorice and roasted coffee. In mouth, the first impression is a lovely freshness. It is full, round and dense with pronounced tannins at the moment. The finish is full and elegant promising a beautiful wine. Additional Comments: All blackcurrants and raspberries at present, with a lovely fruit pastille sweetness to the fruit, remarkably fine tannins and lovely acidity – a wine with superb balance. Opens out beautifully in the glass, with a touch of pepper and herby garrigue to compliment the intense fruit flavours. Although it needs time to knit together a bit more and gain complexity, this will be a delicious medium-to-long term drinker (say over the next 10 to 12 years or so). A lovely wine. (Leon Stolarski Fine Wines) Order now. 2004 Domaine de Trévallon - 13.0% Alc./Vol. $73/$438 per case of six Notes from the estate: September 2007 - Great maturity with black fruits and sweet spicy touches. The wine is full and together with juicy fruit and a velvety texture. We advise waiting for five or six years before drinking. Additional Comments: Black cherry colour. The nose has lovely depth and complexity of fruit - some sweet cigar box notes along with blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaves. Elements of both Cabernet and Syrah showing on the palate, with black fruits and spice and lots of complexity, but with a very youthful, tight structure. This has tannins, fruit and acidity in abundance – all the structure necessary for longevity, though it may take longer to come round than the 2005. This will start to drink well in 3 to 5 years and evolve nicely for 15 or more. A classic Trévallon for the long haul. (Leon Stolarski Fine Wines) Dark and opaque, this brooding and rich wine is fresh and dense with notes of sweet black cherry, blueberry and cinnamon. Profound and pure, its palate is powerful but still exceptionally balanced. It finishes pure and focused. An excellent 'classically' styled, velvety wine that will develop nicely over the years to come. Order now. 2003 Domaine de Trévallon - 13.0% Alc./Vol. $73/$438 per case of six Notes from the estate: On the nose, it is delicate and powerful - reminiscent of red fruits marinated in alcohol. On the palate, it is fresh and aromatic, with an aftertaste of milk chocolate. Additional comments: Look – Dark and concentrated dark purple with an inky and dark core and color that fades just slightly to garnet along the edges. When swirled, a ring of color clings to the edge of the glass, gathering, then streaking down into fast thin legs. Smell – Initially a little tight on the nose, but when you give this wine time, aromas of sweet, fresh and ripe fruit, including red cherry and blackberry emerge framed with spice, a touch of oak and floral notes and hints of black licorice. Feel – This full-bodied and dry wine has an exceptional structure with finely etched firm tannins, a solid mineral character, a spicy kick and bright acidity that buttresses the flavors of this wine through to the finish. Taste – Classic rich Cabernet and bold Syrah flavors presented with elegant old-world character. Fresh, pure and tart fruit including red cherry and blackberry with complex earthy wild bramble notes, spice, white pepper and a touch of oak and licorice. Finish – This wine’s dry and fine grained tannins linger long into the finish providing solid texture for the lasting ripe and tart fruit, spice and minerality. Conclusion – The 2003 Domaine Trévallon Vin De Pays Des Bouches Du Rhone Rouge doesn’t disappoint. From a unique vintage, comes a most unique wine. Simply stated, if you are a lover of French wine, this one belongs in your cellar. This serious wine is just now starting to show its potential, and perhaps it’s still too young, this wine’s old-world character and its out of the box varietal blending gives you a wine of great depth, power and finesse. Drink now or hold for up to 10+ years. Wine Spies Order now. 2000 Domaine de Trévallon - 12.5% Alc./Vol. $80/$480 per case of six Notes from the Estate June 2010 - A mixture of finesse and power, fine and deep, still so young with red fruits on the nose, a refined and elegant charmer of a wine. November 2007 - Fine, deep, still youthful. Nose shows more red than black fruit. Very elegant palate aromas, delicate, great finesse. An attractive wine now starting to show its depth and elegance. Needs several years to refine and evolve. April 2005 - The most balanced and elegant of all the Trévallon reds, it boasts a blend of finesse and strength. A great deal of acidity, Will be at its peak in 10 to 15 years. Additional Comments: Entering its second phase of excellence, the 2000 Trévallon, one of the top three wines in Provence (as adjudicated by the Revue Des Vins de France in May 2009, although pretty obvious to everyone in any case) is a real treat. The 2000 is a fantastic Trévallon, fruits of the labours of a warm and generous year. Notes of truffle, violets and hints of tobacco with, waiting to emerge, sousbois and liqueur - so far so good. Then the palate with its disarming freshness, its intimations of youth, its fine balance and sense of harmony. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer) Order now. Eloi Dürrbach Sampler $75/$450 per case of six One bottle each of the 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2000 Domaine de Trévallon packaged in a wooden case. This is a must for any proper cellar and a magnificent gift for the serious collector. Order now. Please note that the above prices include a one dollar per bottle handling fee. Please pass this note on to anyone you think would like to add some very, very special wine to their cellar. Many thanks and cheers, Jim & Hélène www.arthursellers.com jaswalker@arthursellers.com hbuisson@ofrance.ca
Who could have guessed that sixteen years later, our friend and mentor Christian Esparza would ask us if we would like to represent Domaine de Trévallon in Ontario! You bet. So, improbably we found ourselves back at the domaine this winter sampling new vintages of Eloi’s red elixir as well as a wonderful new white. The white wine wasn’t the only change. The vines were much older giving the reds even more flavour and complexity. Eloi and his wife Floriane have been joined by their son Antoine and daughter Ostiane in the management and operation of the estate. And Tulip has succeeded Gypsy as queen of the domaine.
Robert Parker’s comments in 1987 about Domaine de Trévallon hold largely true today:
“One of the greatest discoveries of my life has been the wine made at the Domaine de Trévallon. Only an exciting red is made here, though there are plans to eventually produce a white wine. Virtually everything about this compelling wine is unique. Eloi Durrbach, a ruggedly handsome man in his early forties, gave up a promising career in architecture in Paris to create a vineyard out of the lunarlike landscape near the medieval ghost town of Les Baux and the phantomlike, weird Val d’Enfer, or Valley of Hell. These vineyards, planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Syrah, have performed magically since Durrbach produced his first wine in 1978. Durrbach apprenticed under Georges Brunet of Château Vignelaure prior to starting his vineyard, to get, as he says, “some confidence”; he now has 37 acres of vines that seem to grow from the bauxite rock crags of this forbidding, desolate, windswept, surreal area of France. And he intends to expand onto the 101 acres of unplanted land he owns.
To taste Durrbach’s staggering wines is to see a progression from very good wines in 1978 (his first vintage), made from four-year-old vines, to something sublime in 1985, produced from eleven-year-old vines. They seem to show greater depth and dimension with each passing year, and the prospects here look to be exhilarating. This is a very special wine worth every effort to find since it belongs in any serious collector’s cellar.”
The Trévallon vineyard now covers 42 acres, 37 of which are dedicated equally to the red wine grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and the remaining three to the white wine grapes of Marsanne, Roussanne and a bit of Chardonnay. Please visit the Trévallon website for more details about this fascinating, legendary estate.
The Wines of Domaine de Trévallon
Here is what Clive Coates, the highly respected English wine writer had to say about Trévallon in ‘The Great Wines of France, 2005’:
“Trevallon is not just the greatest wine of Provence but the finest example of a Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend. The wines are getting more and more noble as the vineyard ages. It is a wine of the garrigues, it is a wine of uncompromising personality and like its origins, it is a wine of no half measures. There is danger here. There is excitement. There is passion.”
We are proud to offer you six vintages of the Domaine de Trévallon Rouge: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 (the white has been completely sold out – we are attempting to reserve a little of the yet to be bottled 2009 vintage for our next offering). Each is made exactly the same way from equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon (originally from Château Vignelaure clippings) and Syrah (originally from Château Rayas). Incidentally, Trévallon is classified as Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône – ironically the AOC Baux de Provence permits only 20% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend – and, Eloi isn’t the sort to be dictated to. These cult wines are among the most expensive and highly sought after vin de table in the world!
Basically, the difference between the vintages is the result of nature, and of course varying numbers of years in the bottle. All are aged for two or more years in oak. We are also delighted to be able to offer you the Eloi Dürrbach Sampler that contains one bottle of each of the six vintages on offer. All of these wines come in six-bottle wood cases. We will be taking your orders for the extraordinary wines to the LCBO on Wednesday, August 25.
You will notice that the Trévallon labels are most distinctive. They were all designed by Eloi’s father, René who died in 1999, aged 89. René, who purchased the Trévallon (three small valleys) estate in 1955 as a holiday home, was a painter and sculptor who counted Fernand Léger, Robert Delaunay and Pablo Picasso among his friends (Eloi is Picasso’s godson).
Eloi Dürrbach does not make compromises. He did not feel that the estate’s grapes from the 2002 vintage were up to his rigorous standards, so no Domaine de Trévallon was made that year! These wines seem expensive, but they are truly world class. By comparison, a 2004 Penfolds Grange sells for $499 at the LCBO, a 2006 Antinori Solaia is $244.95 and a 2005 Ch. Haut Brion is a mere $1445. Trévallon is a bargain!
Domaine de Trévallon is meant for the cellar where it will rest comfortably for years. The 1999 is just starting to open; the 2007 is almost completely closed. But, no serious cellar should be without it – the Eloi Dürrbach Sampler would be a cornerstone of a great cellar!
Nothing would have predicted a great vintage; no exceptional weather conditions, no early spring, no hot or dry summer. But right from the start of the harvest, we noticed that the grapes had a lot of flavour and were extraordinarily rich. After the first pressings, we were certain that the 2007 red would be powerful, rich, silky and very smooth. It is a wine with fruit and spice. This wine will be good as soon as it is bottled and for least another 25 years!
Additional comments:
Sauvignon tannins and an undertow of spice, mineral and dark, dark fruit. All these are present and correct, but it is the sheer quality of fruit that is even more manifest than usual, its beguiling and seductive sweetness now in a youthful stand-off with the darker deeper notes, but promising more by way of complexity and potential than we have the right to expect at this stage. This is the signature of a great estate in a superlative vintage. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer)
Order the regular sized bottles now. Order the Magnum now.
The red 2006 is a surprising vintage, drinkable in spite of its youth, with a silky texture and a red fruits mouth.
Eloi Dürrbach is especially pleased with his 2006 Trévallon, a wine which shares the charm and generosity of fruit of a lot of S. Rhônes; indeed it is worth remembering that Baux-de-Provence is only around 25 south of Avignon. A harmonious nose marries red fruits with black truffle, the latent power cloaked by silky elegant tannins, the palate dense and full of potential, but finely-wrought and wonderfully focused. A very fine vin de garde for a decade or more. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer)
Ruby color with purple tinge; the nose offers subtle fragrances of blackcurrant and wild raspberry. Soon spicy notes appear of "herbes de Provence", liquorice and roasted coffee. In mouth, the first impression is a lovely freshness. It is full, round and dense with pronounced tannins at the moment. The finish is full and elegant promising a beautiful wine.
Additional Comments:
All blackcurrants and raspberries at present, with a lovely fruit pastille sweetness to the fruit, remarkably fine tannins and lovely acidity – a wine with superb balance. Opens out beautifully in the glass, with a touch of pepper and herby garrigue to compliment the intense fruit flavours. Although it needs time to knit together a bit more and gain complexity, this will be a delicious medium-to-long term drinker (say over the next 10 to 12 years or so). A lovely wine. (Leon Stolarski Fine Wines)
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Notes from the estate:
September 2007 - Great maturity with black fruits and sweet spicy touches. The wine is full and together with juicy fruit and a velvety texture. We advise waiting for five or six years before drinking. Additional Comments:
Black cherry colour. The nose has lovely depth and complexity of fruit - some sweet cigar box notes along with blackcurrant and blackcurrant leaves. Elements of both Cabernet and Syrah showing on the palate, with black fruits and spice and lots of complexity, but with a very youthful, tight structure. This has tannins, fruit and acidity in abundance – all the structure necessary for longevity, though it may take longer to come round than the 2005. This will start to drink well in 3 to 5 years and evolve nicely for 15 or more. A classic Trévallon for the long haul. (Leon Stolarski Fine Wines)
Dark and opaque, this brooding and rich wine is fresh and dense with notes of sweet black cherry, blueberry and cinnamon. Profound and pure, its palate is powerful but still exceptionally balanced. It finishes pure and focused. An excellent 'classically' styled, velvety wine that will develop nicely over the years to come.
On the nose, it is delicate and powerful - reminiscent of red fruits marinated in alcohol. On the palate, it is fresh and aromatic, with an aftertaste of milk chocolate.
Look – Dark and concentrated dark purple with an inky and dark core and color that fades just slightly to garnet along the edges. When swirled, a ring of color clings to the edge of the glass, gathering, then streaking down into fast thin legs.
Smell – Initially a little tight on the nose, but when you give this wine time, aromas of sweet, fresh and ripe fruit, including red cherry and blackberry emerge framed with spice, a touch of oak and floral notes and hints of black licorice.
Feel – This full-bodied and dry wine has an exceptional structure with finely etched firm tannins, a solid mineral character, a spicy kick and bright acidity that buttresses the flavors of this wine through to the finish.
Taste – Classic rich Cabernet and bold Syrah flavors presented with elegant old-world character. Fresh, pure and tart fruit including red cherry and blackberry with complex earthy wild bramble notes, spice, white pepper and a touch of oak and licorice.
Finish – This wine’s dry and fine grained tannins linger long into the finish providing solid texture for the lasting ripe and tart fruit, spice and minerality.
Conclusion – The 2003 Domaine Trévallon Vin De Pays Des Bouches Du Rhone Rouge doesn’t disappoint. From a unique vintage, comes a most unique wine. Simply stated, if you are a lover of French wine, this one belongs in your cellar. This serious wine is just now starting to show its potential, and perhaps it’s still too young, this wine’s old-world character and its out of the box varietal blending gives you a wine of great depth, power and finesse. Drink now or hold for up to 10+ years. Wine Spies
June 2010 - A mixture of finesse and power, fine and deep, still so young with red fruits on the nose, a refined and elegant charmer of a wine. November 2007 - Fine, deep, still youthful. Nose shows more red than black fruit. Very elegant palate aromas, delicate, great finesse. An attractive wine now starting to show its depth and elegance. Needs several years to refine and evolve. April 2005 - The most balanced and elegant of all the Trévallon reds, it boasts a blend of finesse and strength. A great deal of acidity, Will be at its peak in 10 to 15 years. Additional Comments:
Entering its second phase of excellence, the 2000 Trévallon, one of the top three wines in Provence (as adjudicated by the Revue Des Vins de France in May 2009, although pretty obvious to everyone in any case) is a real treat. The 2000 is a fantastic Trévallon, fruits of the labours of a warm and generous year. Notes of truffle, violets and hints of tobacco with, waiting to emerge, sousbois and liqueur - so far so good. Then the palate with its disarming freshness, its intimations of youth, its fine balance and sense of harmony. (Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd Buyer)
One bottle each of the 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2000 Domaine de Trévallon packaged in a wooden case. This is a must for any proper cellar and a magnificent gift for the serious collector.
Please pass this note on to anyone you think would like to add some very, very special wine to their cellar.
Many thanks and cheers,
Jim & Hélène www.arthursellers.com jaswalker@arthursellers.com hbuisson@ofrance.ca
