2020 Yves Cuilleron, ‘Digue’ Saint-Joseph Blanc, Rhône Valley, France

Producer:  A family estate for 3 generations, founded by grandfather Claude in 1920. Yves Cuilleron trained as an engineer before taking over operations in 1987, growing the estate holdings from 3.5 to over 90 hectares, with prime, old vine parcels in multiple appellations in the northern Rhone, including Condrieu, Saint Joseph, Côte Rôtie & Saint Péray & a series of Vin de Pays from the Collines Rhôdaniennes. Starting in 2015 he began bottling individual lieux-dits. He is very precise & rigorous in style, striving for harmony & balance, straddling the line between traditional & modern, always expressing a sense of place.

Place: The Domaine is located in Verlieux, in the commune of Chavaney, just south of Condrieu, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The grapes are from the Saint-Joseph appellation in northern Rhône.

Cultivation: Eco-friendly, organic practices, in conversion to organic certification.

Varietal: Roussanne

Bottling: Single vineyard ‘Digue’ is planted solely to Roussanne, located in the commune of Saint-Pierre de Boeuf in northern Saint-Joseph appellation.

Soil: Granite & Micaschist

Winemaking: Manual harvest, aged on the lees for 8 months in a combination of Oak Cask & Burgundy Barrels, before blending.

Tasting Notes: Rich & Generous – Honeysuckle – Elegant Mineral Finish