Anyone with experience with Domaine de Trevallon? What’s the style like? How does it age?
I bought some of the '08 this year, my first experience with this Domaine, and I LOVED it. Really interesting and complex; with a rustic vibe but in the best possible way. Can’t speak to aging but I’ll buy in the future if the price is right.
the 98 is very very good. IMHO, More Northern rhone style than Southern
It’s 50-50 syrah and cabernet, so it’s atypical for Provence and the Southern Rhone.
I’ve had sublime bottles and some very bretty ones too. I have an older bottle if you’re interested, PM me.
I don’t have experience with the white Trevallon. The red one is great, the style is fairly light, fairly easy going, less structured than Bordeaux, less meaty than Northern Rhône, very unique, I’d say. With age, it has a fairly noticeable sundried tomato note in my experience. The oldest I’ve had was the 1989 a few years ago, which was still in great form. At the moment, the 1999 is drinking nicely. You can also drink it young though.
Trevallon (red) is a very interesting wine, in a restrained but very complex style, that ages well. My only problem is that it is almost twice as expensive as, say, Mas de Daumas Gassac, which scratches more or less the same itch, ages just as well, if not better, and I actually like it even more. Closer to base, Richaume, in a slightly different register, is just as good and still costs no more than a fraction of Trevallon’s usual release price.
Never really cared that much for the white, though (marginally more expensive than the red, which leaves it facing very, very tough competition).
Thanks for that input. Looks like, at least in my area, the prices for Trevallon, Richaume and Mas de daumas are all within a few dollars of each other for recent vintages.
I see Trevallon at almost 2x the others, but I haven’t tried them. (Maybe a mas de Daumas years ago)
I love Trevallon, and for me it doesn’t really become itself until it ages. There’s a great minerality to it that I (erroneously) refer to as “bauxite” - a rocky, rusty aroma. It’s hard to know what part is the blend and what part terroir, but it’s very attractive.
There are very few vintages that don’t age attractively too. In the last several years, the 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 96 and 98 have all been good in their way. I think the location must moderate the “bad” vintages, because years like 1987, 1991 and 1993 are more powerful and tannic than you might expect.
I’ve bought some recent vintages but haven’t tried them yet. I’m looking forward to fixing that.
Purchased two cases of magnums, 1990 Domaine de Travallon, Les Baux, on release and drank the first magnum in '99. At that time the wine remained young and unevolved, but demonstrating enticing hints of future excellence. Have enjoyed this wine immensely ever since. We appreciate the aged essence of indescribable “mature” elegance of this wine!
Interestingly, we are having guests for dinner tomorrow evening, and will be pouring this beautiful wine.
Does it age well? Absolutely!!!
Here are comments from the owners of this domaine:
Dated commentary from the proprietor of Domaine Trevallon:
1990 Domaine de Travallon, Les Baux
April 2005
The wine is just starting to evolve. In my opinion, I’d wait at least another 3 to 4 years before drinking it. Could wait 12 to 15 years.
November 2007
Good colour. Deep spice and dark chocolate on the nose, firm, ripe, complex on the palate. silky tannins, good length. Vigorous and youthful. Best wine of the evening.
I was involved in a Trevallon dinner event last month, hosted by the importer, where we tasted the 2013 white and nine vintages of the red from 1996 through 2012. The white was stunning, tropical, melons, and minerality. Great by itself or with food. The red was almost reminiscent of Northern Rhone, but definitely its own beast. A wine built to age, for sure. The older vintages had some fun funk to them that I enjoyed and a fair amount of others did not.
We also had the domaine’s olive oil, which is some of the best I’ve ever had.
Not only does it age well, it’s not really meant to be drunk before 10+ years. You’ll most likely miss on the complexity the wine can have if you drink it too young, and given that it’s not cheap it would be a shame.
Not sure about the US but in Europe it’s not that hard to find Trevallon with 6+ years.
Alain
Premier Cru, of all places, got in a big stash of old trevallon shortly before going belly up. Looking forward to opening up some of the ones I picked up…
thanks for that comment.