In the glass
Aroma: black cherry, garrigue, tobacco, violet
Palate: blackcurrant, graphite, wild herbs, cedar
A 50-50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah blend from biodynamically farmed Alpilles foothills. Bordeaux structure meets Mediterranean garrigue; bottles regularly cellar 20 to 30 years from vintage.
What it pairs with
-
Roast leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic
Firm tannin frames the lamb fat; garrigue notes echo the herb-and-garlic crust. -
Daube provencale
Slow-braised beef with red wine and orange peel meets the wine's tobacco and cedar register. -
Wild boar civet
Game's iron-rich fat finds a peer in the wine's blackcurrant and graphite weight. -
Aged Comte cheese
Nutty alpine cheese sits with the wine's cedar and tobacco palate.
How to serve Domaine de Trevallon Rouge
Allow 120 minutes from open to pour.
- Open and decant. Open 90 to 120 minutes before serving for vintages under 15 years old; older bottles can be decanted off the sediment 30 minutes before pouring.
- Serve at 16-18C. Cellar temperature is the band. Warmer pushes the alcohol forward; colder shuts down the violet and garrigue aromatics.
- Use a Bordeaux-style glass. The wide bowl rewards the Cabernet-Syrah blend's blackcurrant and cedar register.
- Pair with the food. Roast lamb with rosemary, daube provencale, wild boar civet or aged Comte all match the wine's structure and savoury Mediterranean depth.
History
Eloi Durrbach planted Trevallon in the Alpilles foothills in 1973 and bottled the first vintage in 1976. The wine was declassified to vin de pays (now IGP Alpilles) in 1994 after the Les Baux AOC required a maximum 20 percent Cabernet (the Trevallon blend is 50-50). Long regarded as a reference for southern French red.
- 1973 — Eloi Durrbach plants the first vines
- 1976 — First commercial vintage released
- 1994 — Estate declassified from AOC Les Baux-de-Provence to vin de pays after refusing to reduce Cabernet Sauvignon below 50 percent
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine de Trevallon
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Syrah (50%)
- Classification
- IGP Alpilles
- Oak
- Aged in old oak foudres for 24 months without racking
- ABV
- 14.0%
- Price
- EUR 90 to 160 at retail
- Drinking window
- 8-30 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1976
- Biodynamic
- Biodynamic Practicing
- Organic
- ORGANIC CERTIFIED
Frequently asked about Domaine de Trevallon Rouge
What does Domaine de Trevallon Rouge taste like?
Black cherry, garrigue, tobacco and violet on the nose; blackcurrant, graphite, wild herbs and cedar on the palate. Full-bodied with firm tannins, medium acidity and a long savoury finish.
When should I drink Domaine de Trevallon Rouge?
Drink between 8 and 30 years from vintage. The wine ages remarkably; younger bottles need 90 to 120 minutes of decanting; mature bottles past 15 years show layered tertiary complexity.
What classification does Domaine de Trevallon Rouge have?
IGP Alpilles. The estate was declassified from Les Baux-de-Provence AOC in 1994 when the AOC limited Cabernet Sauvignon to 20 percent; the Trevallon blend has remained 50-50 Cabernet and Syrah and the wine has been bottled as vin de pays (now IGP) ever since.
What food pairs with Domaine de Trevallon Rouge?
Roast leg of lamb with rosemary is the canonical pairing; firm tannin frames the lamb and garrigue notes echo the herb crust. Daube provencale, wild boar civet and aged Comte are equally strong matches.