Reviews
Although we've only been going since 2006, we've already received some very nice reviews from wine writers and critics. Here is a selection...
Jancis Robinson, May 2010
Treloar is listed as one of Jancis' favourite 30 Languedoc-Roussillon producers in the FT.
Here are her latest reviews.
Treloar, One
Block Muscat 2008 Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes 16.5
Drink 2009-2010
100% Muscat Petits Grains. RS 2 g/l, pH 3.3. 3,000 bottles made.
A very pure lily blossom scent, heady, with gossamer threads of ginger and
white pepper. Translucent fruit, gentle and as softly layered as cherry
blossom petals. Delicious. (TC) 12%
Treloar, La Terre Promise
2008 Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes 16.5++ Drink 2010-2015
A field blend of roughly 50% Grenache Gris, 30% Macabeu, 20% Carignan Blanc.
The Macabeu comes from five or six rows of small, old gobelet vines. Co-fermented
and aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. RS 0.9 g/l, pH 3.3. 900
bottles made (only!) Wild ferment and wild malo. No temperature control.
A very smoky nose, savoury and peppery and intriguing. Tight spice - white
pepper and allspice - and dried herbs on the palate. A wine with long, elegant,
fine-boned structure, softened for a moment by pear, etched with citrus
and then a lovely trace of sunflower seeds on the finish. (TC) 12.5%
Treloar, Rosé
of Treloar 2009 Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes 16 Drink
2010
100% Syrah. RS 6 g/l, pH 3.4, TA 3.6. 5,000 bottles made. Jon's comment
is 'we finally succombed', but his rosé doesn't seem to be such an
oh-if-we-have-to kind of wine! The Syrah comes from a young 1-ha block planted
just before they bought the domaine.
Quite a deep pink - almost more like a pale red wine. Startling blood-range
and pomegranate intensity. A dry finish studded with sweet spice. Delicious
and the kind of rosé that just begs for a salad of smoked salmon
or avocado and bacon outside on the lawn on a hot summer's day. (TC) 11.5%
Treloar, One Block
Grenache 2008 Côtes du Roussillon 17 Drink 2010-2013
80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. They sometimes add 2-3% Syrah
into the fermentation to blind the colour. RS 1.5 g/l, pH 3.5, TA 3. Aged
for 12 months in two- to five-year-old oak barrels and 6,000 bottles made.
Smoky with just the merest allusion to chocolate and coffee on the nose;
fragrant with fennel and cumin. Jewel-bright fruit, neatly flecked with
those same cumin and fennel notes that give it so much character. So fresh!
The acidity simply sings through. Tactile. (TC) 13.5%
Treloar, Three
Peaks 2007 Côtes du Roussillon 16.5 Drink 2011-2016
50% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache. RS 1.3 g/l, pH 3.6. 40% aged
in French barriques for 12 months, of which 10% are new. No fining but the
wine is filtered.
Coffee beans, savoury and meaty nose. Big. Bold. Dramatic. There's a great
swathe of black fruit, damsons and liquorice, a touch of date loaf. The
tannins are very confident and dry, but not drying. Sophisticated. Needs
food, or time, as this one takes no prisoners, still tightly clenched. (TC)
13.7%
Treloar, Le Secret
2007 Côtes du Roussillon 17.5 Drink 2012-2017
Again, mainly Syrah, 12 months in barrique, 65-year-old vines.
Blackish crimson and very, very meaty. Bloody almost. The fruit is lavishly
ripe and dense, laced with star anise and peppery, coffee depth. Powerful
and tight-packed tannins with a lustrous sheen. A wine with glamour and
staying power. It certainly makes a statement. (TC) 14%
Treloar, Le Secret
2006 Côtes du Roussillon 17 Drink 2010-2015
80% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Grenache. RS 1.8 g/l, pH 3.7. 60% is
aged in French barriques and 20% is new, for 12 to 15 months. 3,000 bottles
made.
A gorgeously succulent mulberry and cocoa nose, some liquorice too. Iron-bar
tannins but even those fail to contain all that voluptuous fruit. So many
layers, of chestnuts, walnuts, tamarind. Highly polished and a real beauty.
Gleaming. (TC) 13.7%
Treloar, Motus 2007
Côtes du Roussillon 17.5 Drink 2012-2017
Motus means 'mum's the word' - meaning there is a poetic interpretation
of the appellation rules... a very minor adaptation of course. Mostly Mourvèdre
with a little bit of Syrah and Grenache. RS 2 g/l, pH 3.4. 60% of the wine
spends 24 months in oak barriques and 20% of that is new. 2,500 bottles
made.
Black! A lovely nose of early autumn and tobacco, mushrooms and wild berries.
Dense, animal, broodingly masculine and framed most emphatically by massive,
charcoal-dusted tannins. Spiced, like Christmas cake, and dried black currants.
Complex, layered and definitely a wine that needs time - to cellar and savour.
(TC) 14%
Treloar, Tahi 2007
Côtes du Roussillon 17.5+ Drink 2011-2017
Again a blend of about 50% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, and 20% Grenache,
two years in oak.
A papal purple! Lots of liquorice and as beautifully, finely cut as a Saville
Row suit. Dense, velvety mulberry ripeness. The tannins are still very youthful
and chewy, but supple and promising to hold this all together with effortless
elegance. Real ripeness and curve. Hold on to this a bit longer if you can.
(TC)
Treloar, Tahi 2006
Côtes du Roussillon 17 Drink 2010-2016
Tahi means the number one in Maori, and this is the Treloar flagship wine.
It's a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, and 20% Grenache which
spends 24 months in oak barriques, 20% new. RS 2 g/l, pH 3.4. 2,500 bottles
made.
Rich, brooding cassis on the nose with an overlay of char. Chocolate and
cumin seed nestle in against black fruit. Powerful weight, exacting and
smoothly cut. Glistening with life and very modern. (TC) 13.8%
Tim Atkin, The Wine Gang
Jonathan Hesford and Rachel Treloar's Roussillon estate is making some very promising wines after only three vintages.
One Block Muscat 2007 - This is an unusual, yet rather delicous, blend of Muscat d'Alexandrie and Muscat à Petits Grains, produced in a dry style. Stony, aromatic and refreshing on the palate, this has attractive citrus and orange peel notes
One Block Grenache 2007 - This blend of mostly Grenache with a little Syrah and Mourvèdre carries its 14% alcohol with aplomb. The oak is subtly done, the cherry and raspberry fruit is bright and aromatic, the minerality palate-cleansing.
A domaine to watch.
Gold Medal, Berlin Wine Trophy 
Our One Block Grenache 2007 won a gold medal in the Berlin Wine Trophy 2010.
Mondo 57 - Gerhard Eichelmanns
Three Peaks 2006. It shows a lot of ripe fruit in the bouquet, red and dark fruit, subtle vanilla and chocolate. In the mouth it presents itself full and flattering, has a lot of ripe fruit, good structure and freshness. 88 Points and highlighted as the best value wine of the Roussillon.
Guide Hachette 2010 
One Block Red 2007 recommended
with a star rating.
Jancis Robinson's Languedoc-Roussillon Selection
July 2009 www.jancisrobinson.com
Jancis is Britain's most well-respected wine critic so we were delighted to receive such complimentary words and high scores. 16 points from Jancis is praise indeed. In fact that is the score she gave to Mas du Daumas Gassac, the "First growth of the Languedoc"
La Terre Promise 2007 Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes Blanc
16 Drink 2009-11
Very good packaging, and lively, tangy wine not totally unlike a young Hunter
Semillon for its lack of alcohol and confident pure acidity. I'd love to
see how this will age.
One Block Muscat 2006 Vin de Pays d'Oc Blanc
16.5 Drink 2007-09
Fine rose-petal aroma with a smoky overlay. Gentle and succulent on the
palate. Great balance. Lovely texture and fruit integrity on the mid palate.
This would make a great aperitif.
One Block Grenache 2006 Vin de Pays d'Oc Rouge
17 Drink 2008-11
Relatively light on the nose. Very rich, spicy fruit on the front palate
and then the dry finish of dry-farmed fruit in a dry climate. Not uncomfortably
hot or jammy - admirably fresh. Neat and mineral - not very lush but all
the more refreshing for it. No obvious oak influence but none the worse
for it.
Three Peaks 2006 Côtes du Roussillon Rouge
16 Drink 2010-14
Pretty dry and tarry on the front palate. This is one to keep. Pretty tightly
wrought.
Le Secret 2006 Côtes du Roussillon Rouge
16.5 Drink 2009-15
Very dark. Mellow, well melded nose - more complex and evolved than the
Three Peaks. Sweet and spicy start with a tarry finish but some richness
in the middle.
The Wine Gang March 2009
The Wine Gang is a panel of 5 of the UK's top wine writers - Tim Atkin, Tom Cannavan, Joanna Simon, Anthony Rose and Olly Smith. It is a unique wine information service that relies only on subscription and not on advertising, hence avoiding conflicts of interest. See www.thewinegang.com for more information.Tahi 2006 It has a beautiful cedar and pencil-shaving finesse to
very ripe, glossy black fruit on the nose. The palate is flooded with a
super-ripe, chocolaty bittersweetness of berry fruits that has sumptuous
depth but never loses focus thanks to creamy, supple tannins, oak spice
and good acidity.
Score: 93/100
Motus 2006 It has a big, rich, ripe and brambly nose with a background
of espresso and cocoa, and just a glimpse of the gamey quality that Mourvèdre
so often imparts. On the palate this is deliciously juicy and full of energy,
the sweet, spicy fruit, chunky tannins and crisp acidity balancing the oak
beautifully.
Score: 90/100
Le Secret 2006 There's a lovely fragrance here, with sandalwood
and exotic spices over lifted cherry and blackberry fruit that has a creamy
depth. Richly spicy on the palate too, this is a big wine with charry oak
underpinning robust black berry fruits and grippy tannins. It is balanced
but powerful, in the boldest style of all the Treloar red cuvées.
Score: 90/100
Three Peaks 2006 Thick, savoury and sinewy black fruit and earthy
minerality dominates the nose, leading on to a palate of dense, bittersweet
fruit with bloody edges to plum and leather. The tannins are thick and mouth-coating,
but spice and acidity
adds a kick of life into a long finish.
Score: 90/100
One Block Grenache 2006 The nose is bright, firm and cleanly fruity,
with a blackcurrant jam sweetness coming through. The palate, too, is swish
and stylish, with excellent balance between plush fruit, acidity and firm
structure.
Score: 88/100
La Terre Promise 2007 Immediately quite complex on the nose, this
has echoes of waxy parcel string, a deep walnut quality and orangey fruit.
On the palate it is dry and quite mineral, with just a pleasant suggestion
of sweet oak flavours, and masses of dry, pithy orchard fruit acidity. Lovely
and unusual stuff.
Score: 89/100
Muscat of Alexandria 2006 There's a gentle nose of orange blossom
and slightly smoky herbs reminiscent of thyme and bay. The palate has dry,
clean, quite mineral and nutty flavours with a pithy finish. Quite fine
this, and majoring more on minerality than any more flamboyant Muscat character.
Score: 88/100
One Block Muscat 2006 This has a typically floral perfume, with
Spring flowers and touches of spices and lime. Though dry Muscats can often
be a bit of an anti-climax on the palate, this one retains a vivid freshness
and touch of exoticism, finishing with steely precision.
Score: 87/100
Guide Hachette 2009
Three wines from our very first vintage were included in the Guide Hachette, France's most respected wine guide. No other Cotes du Roussillon producer had more wines recommended than us.
"A good first-entry in the Guide with three oak-aged cuvées blended from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre in different proportions. Lively, liquorice and spicy, LE SECRET 2006 (8 to 11 €) is based mainly on Syrah – recommended; THREE PEAKS 2006 (8 to 11 €), fruity and smoky, powerfully built on rounded tannins, also incorporates to its advantage Mourvedre and Grenache – also recommended.
The tasting panel most preferred the TAHI 2006 (15 to 23€), the jewel of the estate, (50% syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache). A deep garnet in colour, this 2006 releases aromas of preserved fruit over a base of spice. An ample, tasty, elegantly peppered and toasted wine with presence. Not at all lacking in fruit (ripe red berries). Harmonious and long on the palate, it is already clearly asserting itself but will age well – Two Stars."
Jancis Robinson, Financial Times Dec 2008
"Every year I try to assemble a collection of wines for Financial Times readers that I think should be drinking particularly well for celebrations over the year end. There is a horrible shortage of space in the paper so I had to trim my list considerably for the pink pages - down to 30 from a total of 100 - ... culled from the thousands of wines I have tasted over the last few months.
Domaine Treloar, One Block Grenache 2006 Vin de Pays d’Oc
Old Languedoc vines show that you don’t need oak to make a compelling,
spicy red."
Jamie Goode, The Wine Anorak May 2008
One Block Grenache 2006 "This is quite a big wine, with sweet, lush, almost jammy blackberry and raspberry fruit, coupled with some spicy tannic structure. Good depth of flavour and ample fruit expression here: a satisfying, warm, food friendly wine - 89/100"
Three Peaks 2006 Cotes du Roussillon
"This attractive southern French red is the inaugural vintage …
A concentrated wine with sweet-yet-focused red and black fruits with a spicy
lift. There's a distinctly savoury, spicy quality to this wine which has
enough tannin and acidity to keep it quite fresh. Finishes distinctly savoury
and quite grippy. A food-friendly style that may develop nicely over the
next few years. 90/100"
TAHI 2006 Cotes du Roussillon
"It's a big old wine, made with a fair dollop of new oak, but there's
more than enough fruit to deal with it. Tight, dark, concentrated and quite
tannic, this could do with a few years to become more approachable and is
potentially very long-lived. Ripe dark fruits dominate, with a subtly roasted
coffee oak edge and a bit of plummy bitterness on the finish. There's a
lot going for this wine .... I'd be fascinated to see how this wine will
taste in a decade: I reckon it will be pretty serious. 93/100"
Views from Wine Lovers
I understand that not everyone agrees with wine critics so here are a few comments that have been published by regular wine enthusiasts on Tom Cannavan's excellent Wine Pages forum.
Motus 2006 "It's brilliant. Really good acidity and bright but dark (if that makes sense!) fruit with great depth and poise. Very long indeed. Lovely hints of what he future holds here with the fruit - blackberry/loganberry/blackcurrant(if you want descriptors) - big and bold without ever being fat jammy or overly alcoholic. Nice to drink now with a rich meat dish (lamb come to mind) but will no doubt improve in years to come."
Three Peaks 2006 "I have mentioned this before, but [this] is a bargain for under a tenner. Definitely my bargain red for 2008."
One Block Muscat 2006 "A delightful wine. Perfect lunch wine, floral, peachy and a lychee on the nose, that peachiness and sweet though light lychee comes through on the palate with some grapefruit aswell. Wonderful balance a touch of weight in the mouth carries the length on for a good while."
One Block Grenache 2006 "A clean slightly spicy finish maches the red fruit well. at £8.50 this is a steal and rollroads anything the rhone can bring in at this price. Fab stuff."
"This is just my sort of winemaker. Careful and clean winemaking with a pure passion for the region that screams through all the cuvees but particularly the reds. (although I have a love for the single variety Maccabeau wine!) A domaine for the wine lover and for sheer pleasure to show other people just how good the Roussillion is for great wines."