Spotlight on Domaine de Durban
by Tom Wolf
Spotlight on Domaine de Durban
by Tom Wolf
One night in the late 1970s, as Kermit toured the south of France with Richard Olney, they stopped at a restaurant near Beaumes-de-Venise, where, at the end of dinner, Olney suggested they cap off the night with a glass of the local Muscat. Made by a cave co-op, it was intriguing enough to inspire Kermit to do a little more digging around this commune at the southern base of the Dentelles de Montmirail, east of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Vacqueyras. He eventually rounded up the names of three or four domaines producing standout Muscats and decided to pay them visits the next time he was in the region.
When Kermit eventually returned and was due to meet with the most promising of the bunch, Domaine de Durban, he found himself running late and low on gas. “There were no cell phones or GPS back then,” he recently told me. “I had to pull into a service station on the main road. As I filled my tank, I noticed a little white camionette with ‘Domaine de Durban’ written on it. And indeed, one of the brothers was there delivering a couple of cases of their wine to the gas station. (Yes, back then, gas stations sold wine.) I introduced myself to him, and thank god he told me to follow him up into the hills to the domaine because it was along the back roads, almost impossible to find in the dark.”
The Leydiers of Domaine de Durban are now among our longest-standing partners and, while for the first two decades, we imported only their Muscat, a luscious pre- or post-dinner nectar, today, we also import a handful of cuvées that represent some of the greatest values in the entire Rhône Valley.
The Vaucluse rouge brims with the quintessential southern Rhône flavors of dark fruit, black olive, stones, and spice, and its balance makes it incredibly versatile at table. The Beaumes-de-Venise rouge is everything you want from a red from one of the southern Rhône’s under-the-radar villages: a bit of rusticity balanced by charm and exuberance, and expressive notes of black cherries, tapenade, and garrigue. Finally, the Gigondas is smoky and sculpted, with structured tannins, and a whiff of wild violet. It’s a striking wine whose Syrah qualities really shine.
Wines In The Collection
Selected by Kermit Lynch France | Southern Rhône
Hailing from a parcel of co-planted vines adjacent to the family home, these varieties were planted together with the express purpose of making the house rouge, the everyday vibrant and juicy drink you’d bring to the table in a jug and drink out of a cup.
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
This lovely Muscat is full of fresh honeysuckle and ripe citrus fruit. Have an ice cream maker? This wine makes the best sorbet you’ll ever taste!
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
Grenache is joined by Syrah and a drop of Mourvèdre to create this delightful everyday red scented with herbes de Provence and ripe black cherry.
Domaine de Durban France | Southern Rhône
Durban does here what they do best, keeping the focus and precision of the terroir as well as loads of fruit and pleasure.
France | Southern Rhône
Hailing from a parcel of co-planted vines adjacent to the family home, these varieties were planted together with the express purpose of making the house rouge, the everyday vibrant and juicy drink you’d bring to the table in a jug and drink out of a cup.
France | Southern Rhône
This lovely Muscat is full of fresh honeysuckle and ripe citrus fruit. Have an ice cream maker? This wine makes the best sorbet you’ll ever taste!
France | Southern Rhône
Grenache is joined by Syrah and a drop of Mourvèdre to create this delightful everyday red scented with herbes de Provence and ripe black cherry.
France | Southern Rhône
Durban does here what they do best, keeping the focus and precision of the terroir as well as loads of fruit and pleasure.
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