Vignes

Journey to the heart of domaine of Trévallon

Between scrubland, limestone and olive trees, the Domaine of Trévallon offers a striking landscape: a mineral amphitheater bathed in Provençal light, whipped by the mistral winds and imbued with a wild elegance. Founded against the grain by Eloi Dürrbach, It embodies a free winemaking vision, radically committed to expressing the terroir. Its unique style—a rare blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, long aging, and minimalist winemaking—has earned it a worldwide legend and an essential place among the great Mediterranean wines.

History of domaine

Family origins and foundation

The parents by Éloi Dürrbach, Jacqueline (weaver) and Rein (painter and sculptor), acquired a property around 1955/60 in Saint-Étienne-du-Grès. Close to Picasso, Jacqueline weaves a tapestry of Guernica sold to the Rockefellers, enabling the purchase of domaine. In 1973, Éloi, an architect by training, returned to the site and decided to create a wild vineyard, breaking the limestone rocks with a sledgehammer to plant his first vines on ∼3 ha, thus starting the Trévallon adventure.

The major stages

  • 1976: first harvest vinified outdoors, due to the lack of a winery.

  • Late 1970s: spotted by Aubert de Villaine (Romanée-Conti) then Parker – international visibility from 1984.

  • 1993: downgrading of the AOC Baux-de-Provence to promote the freedom of the 50/50 syrah-cabernet blend, creation of the Vin de Pays status (which became IGP Alpilles).

  • Years 2000-2010: organic certification, family management, succession ensured by Ostiane and Antoine Dürrbach.

  • November 2021: Death of Eloi Dürrbach, the press refers to his work as a winemaking legend.

Vineyard

Geographical location

THE domaine It is located in the commune of Saint-Étienne-du-Grès, on the northern slope of the Alpilles, near Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. The northern exposure, rare in the region, gives freshness and tension to the grapes.

Soils, appellation and age of the vines

The soils are hard limestone (Barremian, Hauterivian – Lower Cretaceous, >130 million years old), very stony, mixed with blue clay. These poor terroirs ensure concentration and minerality.
IGP Alpilles (formerly Vin de Pays des Bouches-du-Rhône), with dominant grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (50% / 50%). White wines planted with Marsanne, Roussanne and Chardonnay/Garnacha on ∼2 ha.
Vines aged between 40 and 50 years, especially for the red grape varieties.

Winegrowing practices

Cultivated organically from the start, without chemical fertilizers or herbicides: manual labor, severe pruning, natural ground cover. Biodynamic practices are not certified but are applied pragmatically.

Winemaking and aging

Harvesting and winemaking

100% hand-harvested, rigorously sorted, vinified with whole bunches (without destemming), without added yeasts or sulfites – minimal natural fermentation. Limited racking, allowing the lees to nourish the wine throughout the aging process.

Breeding and style

Aged for 24 months in large oak casks (sometimes old barrels), with no fining except for egg whites, and bottled unfiltered. This style preserves the raw character and original minerality.
The typical wine: dense, taut, with firm and silky tannins; refreshing acidity despite the dry summer; evolving towards notes of leather, graphite, garrigue and spices over time.

Highlighting la cuvée Trévallon Rouge (2022 vintage)

Technical specifications

  • Grape varieties : 50% cabernet-sauvignon and 50% syrah.

  • Vintage : year of extreme drought (115 mm of rain January–August, temperatures > 30 °C from May).

  • Livestock farming : 24 months in large oak casks, unfiltered, fined with egg white; minimal racking.

  • Alcohol : < 13% (~12.5% to 13%).

  • Guarding potential : to be drunk from 2030 until 2045 or even 2050+.

Tasting

  • Dress : deep ruby with purplish reflections.

  • Nose : fresh black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant), garrigue, black pepper, thyme, menthol/tapenade aromas, evolving towards leather and bacon.

  • Mouth : tense and fresh attack, velvety tannins, ample and persistent texture, long and saline finish.

Agreements & Service

  • Ideal temperature: 16–17 °C, decanted 1 to 2 hours before serving.

  • Dishes: bull stew, game in strong sauce (venison, hare à la royale), rack of lamb with rosemary, tagliatelle with truffle, aged cheeses such as Banon, tapenade or Provençal fougasse.

Trévallon embodies a radical and visionary winemaking philosophy: absolute respect for the terroir, minimalism in the cellar, ecological commitment, and creative intuition. By rejecting regulatory constraints and market trends, Eloi Dürrbach founded a unique body of work, continued today by his children, in the continuity of a demanding and poetic family project.

For lovers of rich, fresh Mediterranean wines deeply rooted in their terroir, la cuvée Rouge 2022 is an invitation to sensory exploration and the discovery of a living myth.

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