Leon Stolarski Fine Wines Provence Red Wine

The Domaine de Trevallon is located outside the small town of Saint-Etienne-du-Grès, 25 km south of Avignon and 7 km west of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. It is situated on the northern slopes of the Alpilles, a massif composed of limestone rock with sharp, jagged crests reminiscent of what the Provençal poet, Frédéric Mistral, described as a "Greek landscape". The Trévallon vines are planted in a series of vineyards dotted about the hillside, surrounded by holm oaks, olive and almond trees and scrub - to the avid wine enthusiast, a quite magical landscape. And the wines made here are simply wonderful. Indeed, to lovers of fine, terroir-driven wines, Domaine de Trévallon is undoubtedly one of the greatest estates in the whole of France.

The celebrated wine writer Clive Coates speaks of Trévallon thus;

“It is here, literally dynamited out of the solid, craggy limestone rock, that Eloi Durrbach blasted the surrounding garrigues into submission and planted a vineyard. It is here that one of the great and most individual wines of the Midi is produced………. If anything comes close, it is Mas de Daumas Gassac, or Auguste Clape’s Cornas, or the Peyraud’s Domaine Tempier in Bandol. Or a mixture of the three. All these are splendid wines in their own right. But they will only hint at what Trévallon has to offer.”

As one of the pioneers of the wine-growing renaissance that took place in the region around Les Baux, Eloi Dürrbach planted his first vines here in 1973. "My father, René Dürrbach, who was a friend of the painter, Albert Gleizes, one of the forerunners of Cubism, used to come and visit him in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, back in the 1950's" said Eloi Dürrbach. "At the time, we lived in Cavalaire, on the French Riviera, where I was born. My father wanted to find somewhere more peaceful to live and, in 1955, bought the Trevallon farmhouse, surrounded by 60 hectares of scrubland. Back then, nothing grew here, there was nothing but rock. But my father always thought it would be an excellent place to make wine."

And that is just what Eloi Dürrbach decided to do - but not before embarking on the monumental task of preparing the ground for the planting of his vines. The rock was broken up with dynamite, the ground was worked to a deep level, mixing the splinters of rock into the soil. Finally, Eloi planted his first 3 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon (grown from cuttings taken from nearby Chateau Vignelaure) and Syrah (cuttings taken from Chateau Rayas in Chateauneuf-du-Pape) in the winter of 1973, with the first Trevallon wine being produced in 1976.

The Domaine de Trévallon red wine is a 50/50 blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Each variety is vinified and aged separately. 90% of each goes into large old oak foudres, whilst the remaining 10% is aged in 2 year-old 225 litre oak barriques, which will have been used for ageing the previous year’s white wine. The white itself is a blend of 45% Marsanne, 45% Roussanne and 10% Chardonnay, which is aged in 1 year-old 225 litre oak barriques. This is a very special white wine that will age gracefully for 10 years or more.

Domaine de Trévallon has a superb website www.domainedetrevallon.com where you can read more about the origins and development of the estate, together with tasting notes for every vintage ever produced, up to and including 2005. At the time of writing, we are listing the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2005 red wines, plus the 2006 white wine. Because of Monsieur Durrbach’s never-ending quest for perfection, no wine was made at Trévallon in the cold and damp 2002 vintage, and only a relatively small amount was made in 2003, which suffered from the opposite extreme of searing heat and extreme drought. But the vintages we are offering are all (to some extent or other) classic Trévallon vintages – and all will offer superb drinking over the next twenty years. And we hope that the wines of Domaine de Trévallon will become a fixture of our list for many years (and many vintages) to come.

All of these wines are available elsewhere in the U.K (though often only in full case quantities) but rarely will you find all of them on any single merchant’s list - and the prices will almost invariably be more expensive than ours.

If you have tasted the wines of Domaine de Trévallon before, then you will know just how good they are. If you haven’t, then you really should – this estate is undoubtedly the “1st Growth” of Provence, and to my mind one of the greatest estates in the world.

Domaine de Trévallon 1999 Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone
Domaine de Trevallon 1999

Vintage	1999
Region	Provence - Saint-Etienne-du-Grès, near Les Baux
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged in oak foudres for 20 months
Grapes	Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
Alcohol (a.b.v)	12.0%
Food	Fillet steak, rack of lamb, game, cheese
Next day	Still going strong
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will age beautifully for 15+ years
Just slightly fading black cherry colour. A fabulous nose of balsamic, cherries, violets, lilies, grilled meats and a hint of VA - truly elegant and classy. Quite evolved in the mouth – some tannins are present, but they are softening nicely and there’s an engaging earthy character with typical mouth-watering Trévallon acidity. This wine has lovely structure, and the component parts are really beginning to knit together. Whilst drinking quite well now, it cerainly has the stuffing to age and evolve gracefully for at least another 10 years. Very limited stock.

Price: £35.50 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Domaine de Trévallon 2004 Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone
Domaine de Trevallon 2004 table

Vintage	2004
Region	Provence - Saint-Etienne-du-Grès, near Les Baux
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged in oak foudres for 20 months
Grapes	Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.0%
Food	Fillet steak, rack of lamb, game, cheese
Next day	Still going strong
Drink	Best kept for a few years and will age for 15+ years
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 .

Price: £33.75 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Domaine de Trévallon 2005 Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone
Domaine de Trevallon 2005 table

Vintage	2005
Region	Provence - Saint-Etienne-du-Grès, near Les Baux
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged in oak foudres for 20 months
Grapes	Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.0%
Food	Fillet steak, rack of lamb, game, cheese
Next day	Still going strong
Drink	Approachable now, but will age beautifully for 12+ years
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.

Price: £33.75 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Domaine de Trévallon 2006 Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhone
Domaine de Trevallon 2006 table

Vintage	2006
Region	Provence - Saint-Etienne-du-Grès, near Les Baux
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged in oak foudres for 20 months
Grapes	Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.0%
Food	Fillet steak, rack of lamb, game, cheese
Next day	Lovely
Drink	Approachable now, but will age beautifully for 12+ years
Slightly transluscent blood red core, with a narrow ruby rim. The nose is classic Trévallon - a touch of pastilley sweetness peeping through on the nose, along with blackcurrant, herbs, polished mahogany and a whiff of iodine.The palate has masses of red and black fruit flavours - almost with a suggestion of sweetness - along with flavours of garrigue herbs, spices and a touch of savoriness. Delve a little deeper and there is a lovely, refreshing cranberry quality giving extra lift and interest. Juicy, almost citrussy acidity and a backbone of firm, but very fine tannins completes the package. Everything is there, in complete harmony - a truly elegant wine. OK, so it is still young, but it is actually a joy to drink now. But give it the benefit of another 5 to 10 years and it will be yet another in a long line of really great Trévallons.

Price: £33.75 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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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).

Chateau d'Estoublon Jeunes Vignes 2003 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon Jeune Vignes 2003 table

Vintage	2003
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
Dark ruby/purple with a bricking rim. A nose of raspberry, cherry and bramble with a touch of volatile acidity giving extra lift. With a lovely mix of ripe berries, fresh bread and spangles on the palate, this is mouth-filling without being too rich, and warming without being alcoholic. This wine is certainly atypical for a 2003 from this region - and all the better for it. An unusual and lovely wine. Certified organic.

Price: £15.99 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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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: £15.99 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Chateau d'Estoublon 2005 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon 2005 table

Vintage	2005
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)	13.8%
Food	Venison and other game, beef, mushroom risotto
Next day	Still excellent
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will age for 5 to 10 years
Dark ruby/purple. The nose hints at classy, complex red and black fruits and a touch of spice. The palate is rich and mouth-filling with fresh bramble, blackcurrant and cherry flavours complimented by a hint of dark chocolate, and all held together with soft tannins and a hint of stalkiness adding extra interest and complexity. This is a very classy, serious wine, with a great future ahead of it. And despite the inclusion of the permitted 20% of Cabernet Sauvignon, it bears more than a little similarity to a really top-notch Chateauneuf du Pape - but without the price tag to match! Certified organic.

Price: £18.49 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Chateau d'Estoublon 2006 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon 2006 table

Vintage	2006
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)	13.6%
Food	Venison and other game, beef, mushroom risotto
Next day	Still excellent
Drink	Wonderful already, but will age for 5 to 10 years+
Medium-to-dark, semi-transluscent ruby red core, fading to a wide raspberry-tinged rim - it really is a joy to look at. The nose has compex aromas of red and black berries and currants, red meat, polished leather and exotic mixed spices. The palate is simply gorgeous, with wave after wave of fresh red and black fruit flavours, with all manner of spice and herb nuances. It has just a touch of meatiness to it, courtesy of the Grenache and Mourvedre, but the Syrah and Cabernet contribute enormously to the structure, making for a truly multi-dimensional wine. It has fruit, spice, acidity and tannin, all in perfect harmony - which makes it so lovely to drink now, it is almost too much to resist. Having said that, it certainly has all the ingredients necessary to age gracefully for a good 5 to 10 years. What can I say? I am utterly bowled over. And if this is the future of Provençal winemaking, then I am very proud to play my part in bringing it to you. A simply wonderful wine.

Price: £18.49 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Chateau d'Estoublon Cuvée Mogador 2005 Les Baux de Provence
Chateau d'Estoublon Cuvée Mogador 2005 table

Vintage	2005
Region	Provence - Fontvieille, on the southern edge of the Alpilles
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged 18 months in large oak barrels.
Grapes	35% Cabernet, 35% Syrah plus Grenache and Mourvedre
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.8%
Food	Venison and other game, beef, mushroom risotto
Next day	Fabulous!
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will age for another 10+ years
A medium blood red core, with a narrow-ish raspberry-coloured rim. The nose is so expressive, with all manner of red and black currant and berry aromas, complemented by notes of vanilla, mocha, polished leather and a lick of peppermint. Further notes of forest floor, spices and garrigue herbs all add to what is an extremely complex nose. The fruit on the palate is intense, but beautifully fresh. Although there is some oak influence, it is subtly done and doesn't dominate the fruit - very important, this - and merely serves to add another dimension to what is a hugely complex and multi-faceted wine. There are layers of juicy, tangy fruit flavours (mostly at the red end of the spectrum - redcurrant, cherry, raspberry, even cranberry), with abundant acidity and firm, but ultra-ripe tannins. The fact that the fruits tend towards red, rather than black, heightens the sense of supreme elegance. It is so packed with flavour, but one wouldn't describe it as a "rich" wine - at least not in a Provence or Southern Rhone sort of way - and it majors on fruit, rather than any savoury elements. I don't really like to pigeon-hole wines, or even compare them to wines from other regions. However, you wouldn't put it in Bordeaux and you probably wouldn't put it in Burgundy (although it possesses great elegance), but you might put it in the Rhone or even Tuscany. Or you might just say that it combines many of the best attributes of all of the above. Ultimately, though, I just have to take my hat off to it and say Wow! - so that is what Provence is really capable of! Simply a world-class wine. *Extremely limited quantity - limited to 1 bottle per customer.*

Price: £42.95 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Chateau Pradeaux

Château Pradeaux

We first visited Chateau Pradeaux in 2007 and were mightily impressed, both with the wines and with the estate itself. Since that visit, Pradeaux had featured very high on the list of growers I wanted to have in our portfolio. And finally, here they are. Chateau Pradeaux is one of the oldest and most traditional wine estates in Bandol (which is itself one of the oldest appellations in France) and has been in the ownership of the Portalis family for many generations. The wines here are for the purist, rather than the modernist – and made from virtually all Mourvedre (for the reds, especially). The grapes are not de-stemmed and the wine is aged in large, very old oak foudres, rather than newer barrels. So if you are looking for modern, oaky fruit bombs, you are looking in the wrong place. For these are sturdy wines, offering a combination of power and elegance and a strong tannic backbone – wines to age and to be enjoyed with food. The rosé is quite simply world class – and is also capable of ageing for up to 10 years.

Chateau Pradeaux 2001 Bandol
Chateau Pradeaux 2001 table

Vintage	2001
Region	Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, between Marseilles and Toulon
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged 4 years in old oak foudres
Grapes	95% Mourvedre, 5% Grenache
Alcohol (a.b.v)	14.5%
Food	Game, beef, lamb, mushroom risotto
Next day	Best consumed on the night
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will evolve and soften for 15+ years
A medium-dark blood red core, leading to a slightly amber/orange rim, with all sorts of shades in-between. Despite its 14.5% abv, it is relatively light in texture. The nose is initially a little dumb and monolithic, but it then begins to open up and become much more expressive, with notes of black cherry and bramble, dark chocolate, cedar, tobacco and undergrowth. There are also some nice herby notes, particularly oregano and thyme, and a warming whiff of eau de vie. The palate has flavours of bramble fruits and christmas cake, with background notes of chocolate and red meat, herbs and spice. It is full of richness and fruit, but possesses ample acidity and a healthy backbone of ripe tannin. This is a wine which can be enjoyed now, as long as it is accompanied by a rich, meaty dish, but will reward cellaring for another 5 to 10 years. Bordeaux meets Chateauneuf, perhaps? A potentially great wine, from a great vintage.

Price: £26.50 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Chateau Pradeaux 2004 Bandol
Chateau Pradeaux 2004 table

Vintage	2004
Region	Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, between Marseilles and Toulon
Colour/Style	Dry red, full bodied. Aged 4 years in old oak foudres
Grapes	95% Mourvedre, 5% Grenache
Alcohol (a.b.v)	13.5%
Food	Game, beef, lamb, mushroom risotto
Next day	Best consumed on the night
Drink	Can be drunk now, but will evolve and soften for 15+ years
This one is from a more typical vintage than the 2001. Deepish blood red in colour, semi-transluscent. On opening, there is a whiff of farmyard, which quickly dissipates to reveal some quite Chateauneuf-like aromas of red and black fruits, garrigue herbs and red meat. Along with further notes of undergrowth, crystallised fruits, vanilla, sandalwood and leather, this is pretty complex and alluring stuff. The palate is packed full of fruit, although - having been bottled only in 2009 after over four years in large (old) oak foudres, the tannins are still quite prominent. This is countered by a herby, mineral quality and fabulous acidity. In other words, a beautifully balanced and fresh wine. Again, this can be drunk now, but needs hearty food. This is excellent, traditional Bandol which needs time to really show its best, but will be perfect after a further 5 to 15 years of ageing.

Price: £19.95 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Domaine de La Courtade 1999 Cotes de Provence
Domaine de La Courtade 1999 table

Vintage	1999
Region	Ile de Porquerolles, off the coast of Toulon
Colour/Style	Dry red, medium bodied. Aged in oak for 12 months
Grapes	97% Mourvedre, 3% Syrah
Alcohol (a.b.v)	12.5%
Food	Grilled meat or vegetables, bolognaise, cheese, pizza
Next day	Even better
Drink	Drinking well now, but will age another 5+ years
A rich, dark ruby core leading to a small rim with shades of amber. A heady mix of bramble, blackcurrant and cherry, with secondary notes of leather and spice, herbs, flowers and cedar - very complex and alluring. The palate is a joy - much lighter than you might think, combining all those fruit qualities withmouth-watering acidity and some lovely peppery/spicy notes. Sort of Northern Rhone meets Burgundy meets Barolo! Lovely stuff, drinking well now, but with a good few years ahead of it.

Price: £14.50 (Including: VAT at 17.5%)

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Minimum order value, delivery charges and times

The minimum order value is £50 (plus the delivery charge). You may of course choose a mix of any wines in our range. Orders between £50 and £175: delivery charge is £6. Orders over £175: delivery is free! (If your order is over £175, 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 £175) but with a small discount for orders over £175 - 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.