The red wines of Provence are something rarely seen in the US, but they are my favorite representations of Cab and Syrah in the world. They basically never say what’s in them on the bottle, and people don’t just automatically *know* like the regions of BDX or Rhone, but they typically run nearly 100% cab down to around 50/50. Which has always struck me as weird, as the “normal”–and far more marketed–South France areas seem determined to produce from the usual list of second-tier, rather burnt and coarse varieties. The fact most of my favorite reds from Provence are Cabernet-dominant always makes me wonder how THEY got it and their neighbors didn’t. This particular house does things REALLY old-fashioned… native yeast, full stem inclusion, and extended bottle age at the cellar. Milky, opaque golden ruby, definitely bricked, no bottle-funk: just pure aged, velvety fruit bringing gobs of sweet tertiary nuances to the forefront. The vegetal is polished down into leather and lace, sharp astringency melding with classic Cabernet spice throughout. Dirty and muddy, with ripe berry SOOO intense–even at 12.
Tasting it shows nary a trace of fatigue: the acid and fruit working in unison in a grainy, chewy mouthfeel I DARE devotees of BDX or Napa to try. The Syrah provides a bit of round chubbiness, but at this age everything is calm and balanced. EVERYTHING you long for in classic Napa or sublime Left-Bank is contained herein–not a slutty impression in sight–the smooth, focused finish waterd down into glorious berry, bright acid and still-plentiful tannin. Find these wines!
2011 DOMAINE de TREVALLON Cab/SY 50/50 Alpilles IGP Saint-Etienne-du-Grès Provence France 12.5
Stephen McConnell 