Gilles Troullier

History of Domaine Gilles Troullier

The story of Domaine Gilles Troullier begins in the 1990s, when Gilles Troullier explored the world of wine and made his first wine at the Abbaye de Lérins in 1992, alongside his first experiments with biodynamics. He then joined Michel Chapoutier in the Southern Rhône before taking charge of the group’s operations in Roussillon with the creation of Domaine de Bila-Haut in Latour-de-France. Over the years, he developed it into a sizable estate acclaimed by international critics.

Soon after arriving in the region, particularly from 2002 onward, Gilles began buying or leasing small plots of old vines, including 80-year-old Grenache, and making wine for himself alongside his other responsibilities. When his partnership with Chapoutier came to an end, he decided to forge his own path and officially founded his estate in 2012. An independent artisan winemaker, he surrounded himself with distinguished neighbors such as Olivier Pithon, Les Foulards Rouges and Domaine Riberach, and within a few years established his distinctive style on the Roussillon natural wine scene.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Gilles Troullier

The vineyards of Domaine Gilles Troullier cover 6 to 9 hectares of scattered plots around Tarerach, Trévillach, Calce and Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet, in the heart of Roussillon. The vines grow on granite and schist soils at elevations of 450 to 600 meters. The winemaker owns no vines below 350 meters and cultivates some of the region’s highest-altitude Syrah, close to 600 meters—a defining feature of his style.

This altitude allows the grapes to reach full ripeness while keeping alcohol levels reasonable and the wines fresh and taut on the palate. The vineyards are planted mainly with Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Lledoner Pelut, often from old vines. In the vineyard, Gilles Troullier follows the principles of organic and biodynamic farming without seeking certification. He uses no synthetic pesticides and limits sulfur and copper treatments to moderate amounts to protect his grapes.

Winemaking at Domaine Gilles Troullier

At Domaine Gilles Troullier, each plot is vinified separately in small vats, with decisions guided closely by the grapes and the winemaker’s instincts. Fermentation starts spontaneously, driven solely by the native yeasts naturally present on the berries. Extraction is tailored to each vintage, always in pursuit of the freshness and purity that characterize the estate.

The wines are aged in oak barrels and demi-muids, not to impart oak flavors but to allow controlled micro-oxygenation. Aging lasts around twelve months, sometimes combining oak and concrete vats, with deliberately minimal sulfur additions. This artisanal, low-intervention approach produces lively, deep, highly drinkable wines that are both generous and taut, faithfully expressing their high-altitude terroir.

The Cuvées of Domaine Gilles Troullier

The Big Gilou: the estate’s flagship, emblematic red cuvée, an IGP Côtes Catalanes made from old Grenache vines planted on schist. Bursting with gently steeped fruit flavors, vibrant on the palate, generous and deep, it is among the winemaker’s most highly recommended cuvées.

Guérilleros: another benchmark red cuvée, revealing intense aromas of ripe red fruit, sweet spices and garrigue. Its attack is supple, its tannins silky, and its texture juicy and balanced, supported by fine freshness and the mineral tension characteristic of the estate.

Ultim: a high-altitude Syrah with expressive aromas of strawberry, blueberry and spice. Silky and fresh on the palate, it offers a delicate texture and a delicious red-fruit finish. A precise, pure and elegant wine, aged for around twelve months in barrels and concrete vats, with very little added sulfur.

Dela: a red cuvée with a luminous ruby hue. Its aromas open with red fruit, violet and a hint of spice. On the palate, a supple attack and juicy, fluid texture are accompanied by fine tannins and a fresh, fruity finish, making for a wine of lightness and elegance.

L’Indigène: a longstanding cuvée from the winemaker, named in tribute to the native yeasts that drive all his fermentations. Produced notably as a Côtes Catalanes white, it is made through gentle vinification that respects the grapes’ potential, followed by several months of aging in barrels and concrete vats, yielding a pure, expressive wine.

L’Esprit du Temps: a red cuvée with a distinctive personality, in the deep, pure and vibrant style prized by the estate. It captures the character of the high-altitude terroirs and the winemaker’s constant pursuit of freshness with finesse.

Boreal: a cuvée whose name evokes freshness, it exemplifies the focused, taut style of Domaine Gilles Troullier. Deep and energetic, it charms with its aromatic purity and fine mineral tension, qualities found throughout the range.