Domaine de Triennes is a well-bred operation. Set up in the heart of Provence in the early 1990s by Jacques Seysses of Domaine DUJAC and Aubert de Villaine of Domaine ROMANEE-CONTI, it boasted all the right credentials to make it a big success. Having found a suitable location that offered an ideal microclimate of warm days and cool nights, it was then necessary to ascertain which varieties would perform best in which plots. Some parcels were simply replanted but a lot of painstaking grafting (the process whereby a different varietal is 'welded' on to existing root stock) was also undertaken. This allowed the Burgundians to maintain the important advantages of aged vines with their deep roots. The downside was that grafting does cause a certain level of stress from which the wines often need a few vintages to fully recover.
It took a few harvests before the new owners were able to produce the sort of high quality fruit they were looking for. The turn around was a gradual one but things did seem to come together shortly after the Millenium. Now, in 2006, the domaine is going from strength to strength and struggles to match supply to overwhelming global demand.

Although the Seysses' spend considerable time at Triennes, they are more than happy for Remy Laugier, the on-site winemaker, to run things in his capable way on a day to day basis. Several wines are made at Triennes but we are concentrating on just two for the moment. The white wine is made from Chardonnay and Viognier and is rich and zingy (the cool nights ensuring lovely fresh acidity), whilst the red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and is a lovely mix of rich, full-flavoured red fruits and structured, spicy masculinity with just the right level of suppleness.

The straight Viognier, Sainte Fleur, is a precocious wine that defines the varietal and would be terrific with grilled fish and seafood. The Saint-Auguste is a more powerful version of the Les Aureliens and will develop very well in bottle.