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Online Wine Shop  >  Wines by grower - alphabetical  >  Chateau d'Estoublon - Provence

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Chateau d'Estoublon
Chateau d'Estoublon
As a merchant specialising in the wines of southern France, I tend to get numerous emails every week from some or other grower or their agent, looking to gain a foothold in the UK wine market. Time (or a distinct lack of it) dictates that I reply to only a small percentage of these emails – usually dependent on whether I am one of hundreds of recipients of a bulk email, or the target of an altogether more selective campaign. And although the majority of the growers on our current list are there because I found them, a few are there because they found me.

One such grower is Chateau d’Estoublon, a long-established estate, situated on the southern slopes of the Alpilles, which was purchased in 1999 by the Schneider family (of Breitling watches fame). The family immediately set about restoring the imposing 18th Century Chateau and the surrounding vineyards and olive groves, whilst their young winemaker Remy Reboul (under the tutelage of the legendary Eloi Durrbach of Domaine de Trévallon) set about making the wines. Some  replanting was also carried out – mature Grenache and Syrah vines were already there, together with Grenache Blanc for the white wine. But unfashionable workhorse varieties such as Counoise, Cinsault and Ugni Blanc were replaced with more noble varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Marsanne and Roussanne, which came into production with the 2002 vintage.

The red wines are based on Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, with the main Chateau red also containing 20% Cabernet Sauvignon (the maximum permitted for the Les Baux de Provence appellation). Despite the Cabernet in the blend, these reds are stylistically quite similar to Chateauneuf-du-Pape – and bloody good Chateauneuf, at that! Just one white is made, being a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. Because Marsanne and Roussanne are not permitted varieties for the AOC, this wine bears the label "Vin de Pays des Alpilles". But make no mistake, this is brilliant stuff, which stands comparison with the (far more expensive) Trévallon white wine – and indeed, many a top white Chateauneuf or even Hermitage. The wines are certified organic (Ecocert).
Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2007 Vin de Pays des Alpilles
Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2007 table
Vintage
 2007
Region Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style Dry white, full bodied. Aged in oak for 11 months
Grapes Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc
Alcohol (a.b.v)
 13.6%
Food Smoked salmon, shellfish, chicken, cheese
Next day
Still excellent
Drink Can be drunk now, but will age for 5 to 10 years
The colour is a bright yellow gold. The nose is uber complex - notes of quince, apricot, primrose, spices (fennel and clove spring to mind), with subtle hints of lemon, honey and clarified butter. The oak-ageing is subtle, too, with just a touch of vanillin. And the palate is as fresh as a daisy, with flavours of apricot and peach, quince and lemon zest. There is also honeyed, nutty richness that coats the mouth, whilst at the same time coming across as beautifully dry and focused. Restrained power is the order of the day - the sort that manifests itself in a long, mouth-watering finish. In fact, this is a wine that seems effortlessly to combine richness of flavour with supreme elegance. Which marks it out as a great wine, in my book. White Chateauneuf? White Hermitage? Even white Trévallon? This comes pretty close to them all - it is an absolute star of a wine, from an undoubted future star estate of Provençal winemaking. Buy it.

Tasting note by The Wine Gang - April 2010
"A stylish, concentrated Vin de Pays blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc, there's a seed-cake nuttiness on the nose, and a very rich minerality on the palate. This is one of those intense wines where bruised orchard fruit plays second fiddle to the complex minerals, flowers and herbal power of the flavours, with huge length and a wonderfully steely presence. 92/100"
 
Price:  £22.99 (Including: VAT at 20%)

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Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2008 Vin de Pays des Alpilles
Domaine d'Estoublon Blanc 2008
Vintage
 2008
Region Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style Dry white, full bodied. Aged in oak for 11 months
Grapes Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc
Alcohol (a.b.v)
 13.4%
Food Smoked salmon, shellfish, chicken, cheese
Next day
Still excellent
Drink Can be drunk now, but will age for 5 to 10 years
The colour is a pale-to-medium yellow gold, with orange glints. The nose exhibits notes of quince, apricot, peach and pink grapefruit, along with something almost evocative of red fruits, which is most unusual in a white wine. Further notes of citrus blossom and honeysuckle, soft spices, nuts and clarified butter make for a wine of quite stunning complexity. As with previous vintages, the oak-ageing is beautifully done and really quite subtle, allowing all of those wonderful "winey" aromas to sing. The palate is crammed full of flavour, with a high level of concentration and a rich, mouth-coating oiliness and nuttiness, which is balanced by wonderful orangey acidity and perhaps even a little grape/wood tannin. Once again, restrained power is the order of the day, in a wine which combines richness of flavour with supreme elegance and a gentle, spicy warmth. It is perhaps a tad richer than the 2007, but no less complex or elegant for it. The finish is as long and complex as the start and the middle, with all of those glorious, hedonistic flavours lingering for an age. Another utterly glorious white wine from this rising star of Provence.
 
Price:  £22.99 (Including: VAT at 20%)

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Chateau d'Estoublon 2007 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon 2007
Vintage
 2007
Region Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style Dry red, full bodied. Aged 18 months in large oak barrels.
Grapes Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)
 13.4%
Food Venison and other game, beef, mushroom risotto
Next day
Still excellent - maybe even better
Drink Lovely now, but will age for 8 to 10 years
This wine has a medium/dark, semi-transluscent ruby red core, fading to a wide raspberry-tinged rim. A delicious combination of smoke, meat, garrigue herbs, soft spices, polished leather, red capsicum and rotting, high-toned red and black fruits fairly leap out of the glass. It really is a tremendously complex and alluring nose, which strikes a perfect balance between fruit and savoury, with a touch of florality thrown in for good measure. The palate is full of fresh red and black fruit flavours, combining all of those qualities of fruit, herbs, spices, peppery and savoury/meaty notes with tremendous concentration, fine, grippy tannins and admirable acidity - and a tremendous length of flavour. That said, this is no Parkerised monster - despite the concentration, it has plenty of subtlety, with that lovely acidity giving real lift and vitality. This is another multi-dimensional wine, from one of the great Provence vintages in recent memory, with the balance and structure to age and evolve gracefully for at least 8 to 10 years (or maybe more).
 
Price:  £19.99 (Including: VAT at 20%)

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Chateau d'Estoublon Cuvée Mogador 2008 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon Mogador 2008
Vintage
 2008
Region Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style Dry red, full bodied. Aged 18 months in new oak barriques
Grapes 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)
 13.9%
Food Venison and other game, beef, mushroom risotto
Next day
Fabulous!
Drink Can be drunk now, but will age for another 10+ years
The colour is a fairly opaque deep blood red, with a narrow ruby rim. The nose exudes class - indeed, it is quite beguiling, with heady black fruit aromas, a touch of meat, polished wood, garrigue herbs and incense. As you might expect with such a young wine, it is quite big on the palate, but it certainly isn't foursquare. The tannins are present, though undoubtedly very fine - in a slightly dusty, chocolatey fashion - whilst the core of rich, ripe, almost sweet bramble and blackcurrant fruit really is impressive, though there is a bitter cherry quality to it that keeps it fresh, in a sweet and sour sort of way. There is a certain amount of oak influence, not charred or toasty, but rather more in the way of old polished mahogany - integrated, subtle and beautifully aromatic. Again, it is ever-so-slightly savoury, herby, even meaty, whilst the mouth-watering acidity provides a perfect foil for the sweet fruit and the tannins - so much so that it is almost drinkable now. Then again, this is a wine built for the long haul and I would say it has at least a decade of evolution ahead of it. A completely magnificent wine.
 
Price:  £42.95 (Including: VAT at 20%)

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Chateau d'Estoublon Jeunes Vignes 2005 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon Jeune Vignes 2005 table
Vintage
 2005
Region Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style Dry red, full bodied. Aged 1 year in large oak barrels.
Grapes A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)
 13.6%
Food Roast or grilled red meats, sautéed vegetables, pasta
Next day
Still very good
Drink Excellent now, but will age for another 5+ years
A bright, transluscent ruby/raspberry colour, fading gently to a pale raspberry rim - the result of what I assume to be quite a lengthy period of ageing before bottling. The nose offers aromas of the warm south - spiced red and black fruits, polished wood, undergrowth, garrigue herbs and a hint of garam masala. Give it a good swirl and you might even detect a hint of ripe peaches - for a "jeunes vignes" (from young vines) this offers surprising complexity. The palate is rich and concentrated, with a huge core of ripe fruit, but never blowsy or overpowering. There is a cherry skin element to it, which gives it lift, with a decent level of acidity and fine tannins adding grip and definition. As with all the Estoublon reds, it manages to combine rich, ripe flavours with juicy/tangy acidity and spicy warmth, without ever suggesting heat. If I were tasting this blind, I might think I was drinking an unusually subtle (and really very good) Gigondas.
 
Price:  £16.25 (Including: VAT at 20%)

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Mailing list
Our list is constantly evolving, so if you would like to receive our occasional e-mail newsletter (around 8 times per year) click the logo >>>>


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Minimum order value, delivery charges, times and restrictions
We deliver only to UK and Northern Ireland addresses. The minimum order value is £75 (plus the delivery charge). You may of course choose a mix of any wines in our range. Orders between £75 and £200: delivery charge is £7.50. Orders over £200: delivery is free! (If your order is over £200, please remember to change the delivery charge in checkout to £0.00). Please note: Delivery to non-mainland addresses (Scottish Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, etc.) is usually possible, but may not be on a next-working-day basis. It is also more expensive than delivery to mainland addresses, so will be charged at cost (for orders under £200) but with a small discount for orders over £200 - please call us for a quote.
Warning - you must be aged 18 or over
It is an offence to purchase or attempt to purchase alcohol if you are under the age of 18. (Section 149 Licensing Act 2003).We reserve the right to seek proof of age. Leon Stolarski says "drink less, but drink better!" Please consume alcohol in moderation.