Domaine François Villard

Once we’ve read about François’s Le Grand Val vineyard in Saint-Pierre-de-Bouef and his Poncins vineyard in Saint-Michel-sur-Rhône, it is a short jump to describe this new tête de cuvée for Domaine François Villard, as it is simply a tiny selection of the oldest and most densely planted and lowest yielding vines from these two prized sites that combine for a very special, carefully crafted and doted on cuvée of only five barrels of mind-rattling Condrieu at its finest. Only 1,400 bottles made. 9,000 vines/ha. See Le Grand Vallon and Deponcins for a description of the vineyards. Average age of the vines is fifty years old. The wine is direct pressed and fermented in barrels at low temperatures with native yeasts, then aged 16 months: 12 months on fine lees in oak (20% renewed each year), followed by four months in stainless steel before bottling. 13.5% ABV. Cellaring potential: 15 years.