Domaine de Trévallon Vineyard and Stockinger Barrels

By Liz Gabay

This article was originally published in Nomacorc website magazine in summer 2016, following my three-day visit to Trevallon in April 2016. A cold Mistral was blowing for most of that week, so hiding in the cellar some days, despite the noise, was a respite.

Sometimes the most unexpected vineyard visits appear from nowhere. While researching my article on new trends in premium rosés for Nomacorc, I discussed the use of Stockinger barrels with Stockinger’s European agent Thomas Teibert of Domaine de l’Horizon. Thomas asked if I were interested in going to Domaine de Trévallon at the end of April to see a rare event – the installation of five 3400l barrels by Franz Stockinger, head of coopers Fassbinderei Stockinger from Waidhofen-an-der-Ybbs in central Austria. Trévallon and its wines has always been one of my favourite estates, and the opportunity to observe this unique occasion, to see the domaine from a different perspective and taste the results, was one not to be missed.

Continue reading here for this contributor post by Master of Wine, Elizabeth Gabay. Learn about these handcrafted wood barrels and their components. Discover the enormous effort required to install these 3400L foudres (large barrels).

Domaine de Trevallon

Located almost halfway between St-Rémy-de-Provence and Sainte-Étienne-du-Grès this vineyard has a reputation for producing award-winning wine. The Domaine de Trévallon vines cover 17 hectares on the northern slopes of the Alpilles. The majority of the vineyard (15 hectares) is dedicated to cabernet sauvignon and syrah grapes. Marsanne and roussane grow on the remaining two (2) hectares.

Similar to many vineyards in Provence Domaine de Trévallon is a family affair. In 1950, Jacqueline and René Dürrbach fell in love with the natural environment in this part of Provence and purchased Mas Chabert. A decade later they bought the neighbouring property Trévallon (three valleys).

With no formal training, their son Eloi Dürrbach determined that the land would be perfect for growing grapes, and eventually for producing wine. He convinced his parents and planted his first vineyard in 1973. After 30 years, Eloi Dürrbach and his wife Floriane have proven to the wine community a passion and conviction to craft exceptional wine. The next generation, their children Ostiane and Antoine, are making their mark on the vineyard’s operations.

Domaine de Trévallon (website)
Located outside of Sainte-Étienne-du-Grès
Visits to the vineyard are limited and must be booked a month in advance.

Image credits: All photos provided by and published with the permission of Domaine de Trévallon