2009 Domaine de Trévallon Rouge, Alpilles, Provence

2009 in the South of France was almost perfect for the vines. The early rain provided energy and fuel, the mid-summer temperatures engendered complexity through their diversity, and the late-season warmth ensured a happy coincidence of phenolic and fruit ripeness.

Trevallon provides a magnificent illustration of this benevolence, all the more so because the marriage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah requires particular conditions, with sufficient warmth to ripen the Cabernet skins but diurnal patterns through the season to allow the Syrah to shine through with pellucid purity. The wine succeeds admirably, with the roundhead Cabernet providing a sober framework and the more cavalier Syrah broadening the mouthfeel, harnessing the sweetness and lifting the mood.

Berry Bros. & Rudd