First wines

REMY REBOUL AND ELOI DÜRRBACH
LAUNCH THE FIRST ESTOUBLON WINES

"I took my first steps as a winemaker alongside Eloi Dürrbach, owner of the Trévallon estate"

Since buying the property in 1999, we have undertaken a massive reorganisation and redevelopment of the vineyard and wine storehouses. "I wanted wines that reflected the Estoublon terroir, even if that meant moving away from the specifications and some standards required for the Baux de Provence appellation" So we planted Grenache noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, and on the white side, we opted for Roussane, Marsanne and Grenache blanc…

Our motto: "Let the vines speak for themselves, and give the terroir time to give voice to the wine"

Claude Bourguignon, a renowned microbiologist and soil specialist, joined us in 2004.
By conducting in-depth analysis of the soil, we were able to draw up the chemical and biological "ID card" for each plot of land, and provide the appropriate agricultural response.
The Château's 19 hectares of vines are characterised by a diverse range of soil types: deep clay soil in the south of the estate, drier chalky soil as you move towards the foothills of the Alpilles.
(1/5 clay, 1/5 silt, 3/5 large gravel)

The terroir

Soil

For more than ten years, major works have been a daily reality at Estoublon:
Soil restructuring, grubbing out, planting by propagating cuttings from a small number of plants in the vineyard, appropriate agricultural mechanisation and conversion to Organic Farming in 1999… "Not out of commercial opportunism but because organic farming is an obvious option given the climate in Les Baux de Provence".
The wines have carried the Ecocert label since 2002, which certifies the validity of the organic farming methods used.
We are also conducting an unprecedented trial on the whole estate, having banned the use of copper (mildew) and sulphur (oidium) in our processes and replaced them with plant decoctions, essential oils, nettle and silica-based products, etc.

With a surface area of around 600 sq m and fully renovated in 2000, our storehouses are home to tapered 80 hl oak winemaking casks, 32 hl oak ageing barrels, and a variety of other casks and barrels.
Since 2006, "natural concrete" amphoras have been added to our range of containers:
They have a capacity of 675 litres, are made of clay and natural silica, with no metal framework, and weigh 1,200 kg.
Their perfectly ovoid shape is calculated using the "golden ratio" or "divine proportion":
(The golden ratio is the positive solution of the equation X2-X-1 = 0 where the roots are (1+/- root of 5) / 2=X=1.61803) or the value of a proportion, a relationship between two measurements of the same type such as two lengths, two angles and two branches.) (Phidias 430-490 BC)

An increase (expansion) or reduction (contraction) in temperature (+/-2°) is a perfectly natural way of getting the wine moving, thus churning the fine lees at the bottom of the amphora.
When there is less warming during fermentation, the aromatics are more enduring, with more fruit, more minerality, giving a tighter, zippier wine...

The cellar

Wines

We have been working for years on meticulous blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, three varietals which are used for the majority of Château d’Estoublon wines, and a dash (less than 10%) of Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2005 vintage will be marked by the arrival of a new wine, Cuvée Mogador, in which the main varietals are Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvèdre. A powerful and elegant wine, adding an extra dimension to our wine catalogue.

2007 will mark a determined new turning point and change in style in our wine production, with the arrival of single-varietal wines in very limited batches: 100% Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache.

The whites, meanwhile, are vinified and aged in the purest Rhone or Burgundy tradition, with the introduction of the Roussane and Marsanne varietals and maturing on fine lees giving "fat, complexity and volume".

« "Because colours and flavours are in the eye and palate of the beholder"