Just a short distance from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, on the north side of the Alpilles, is the Domaine de Trévallon, situated in the village of Saint-Etienne-du-Grès.

Here, everywhere, limestone emerges from the ground. It is ubiquitous and shapes this harsh, dry land.

Around the old farmhouse, the vineyards spread out over 13 hectares amid this vibrant and protected countryside.

Major work is undertaken to integrate the vines into this mesmerizing landscape of scrubland with its green oaks, olive and almond trees. The rocky ground is blown up, the soil ploughed deep and the rock fragments mixed in with the soil.

Eloi Dürrbach planted his first vineyard in the Alpilles in 1973. 15 hectares of red are produced, made from equal amounts of cabernet sauvignon and syrah, and 2 hectares made mainly from marsanne et roussane.

It was in 1950 that Jacqueline and René Dürrbach fell in love with the charm of Alpilles and bought the Mas Chabert, and then in 1950 he bought the adjacent property, Trévallon.

While strolling through the scrubland his father would already confide in Eloi that the land would produce good wine.

Floriane and Eloi Dürrbach have been leading the Trévallon adventure together for over 30 years ! Eloi in the vines and the cellar, Floriane by his side at the Domaine.

You can clearly see the special bond with this land and story which have enticed Ostiane and Antoine to work at the Domaine.

Cabernet sauvignon used to exist in Provence before phylloxera. Blended with syrah it would produce excellent wines. The two grape varieties associated with the limestone terroir of the domain give Trevallon its unique style.

Of course, Eloi didn’t study oenology so he wasnt a know-it-all with arrogant self confidence or preconceived ideas. He simply wanted to make a natural wine, that’s all.

Certain about his choice and the history of the Baux vineyards, Eloi chooses to declassify his wine to vin de pays, imposed by the INAO, rather than betray the personality of its wines.

And then at Trevallon, there is the art which is everywhere. The spirit of Rene Durrbach still glides over Trevallon.

Trévallon’s new labels first appeared for the 1996 vintage. They are the work of René Dürrbach, Eloi’s father, who died in 1999 aged 89. Painter and sculptor, he was the friend of a number of painters such as Albert Gleizes, a pioneer of cubism, Fernand Léger, Robert Delaunay and Pablo Picasso.

"I entrusted him with 50 labels and he started drawing on them using coloured pencils, using his inspiration. Each year we choose a label which reflects the characteristics of the vintage".

In the gullies and grooves across the secret valleys of Trévallon’s scrubland, there used to be old olive groves, remnants of a rural tradition linked to one of the oldest fruits which have always been enjoyed by man.

Just like the Domaine’s vines, the olive trees are grown without chemical fertilizer or artificial products. The different type of olives - Aglandau, Picholine, Salonenque, Grossanne, Verdale, Bouteillan et Broutignan - are picked by hand for all 800 of the Domain’s trees, and then pressed on the same day.

Three months later, Trévallon’s gold reveals its pristine fruit flavors with herbal notes and a touch of bitterness.

It was in 2013 that Eloi Durrbach put his trust in the architect Jean Bosc to extend and renovate the domaine.

"The renovation and redevelopment of the existing property adjacent to this modern extension is an example of the comparison between a rural design and the how it can be reflected in modern architecture, revealing another story about the place.
More than goodwill, it is a desire to perpetuate the intelligent, architectural legacy; to keep it evolving by incorporating today’s challenges and limitations."

Jean Bosc, architect