Eloi Dürrbach has died at the age of 71. His feat of creating from nothing the highly regarded cru of Domaine de Trévallon is quite remarkable in French viticulture. He started in the 70s in a 17 hectare estate located in the Alpilles hills near Les Baux and planted 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Syrah for his reds. Because of this locally unorthodox varietal mix, he had numerous disputes with the INAO (appellation authorities) and with other local vignerons and has been selling his top cuvées at good prices without the support of the AOP stamp for several decades. Nowadays they are labelled lowly IGP Alpilles.
IMO Trévallon red is a great Mediterranean wine rivalling the best from Bandol, CndP and Languedoc with an added touch of Atlantic freshness and elegance. I have owned superb bottles of 1989, 1995 and 1998 as well as slightly less good 1992 and 2003, mostly bought at tastings in the presence of Eloi Dürrbach himself, always informative and witty.
RIP