2022 Yves Cuilleron, ‘Vignes d’à Côté’ Syrah, 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 vines in the Collines Rhôdaniennes IGP, northern Rhône Valley in eastern France.

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

Varietal: Syrah

Bottling: ‘Vignes d’à Côté’ comes from declassified Syrah from vineyards in Chavanay, in the IGP Collines Rhôdaniennes ‘wine of the land’.

Soil: Granite & Alluvial

Winemaking: Handpicked, partially destemmed, fermented in open top vats for 3 weeks, aged for 8 months in a mix of oak barrel & vats.

Tasting Notes: Brambly Fruit – Peppery Tannin – Savory Minerals