It has taken Yves Cuilleron 10 years to establish himself as one of the most dynamic young winegrowers in the Northern Rhone. His bold wines move and impress aficionados by their deep combination of terroir and style, a style which combines concentration and elegance, the two words which best define a great wine.
The Condrieu appellation is only 100 hectares in total of which Yves owns 8. This makes him a major player in an appellation which has 40 vineyard owners and in which only 20 producers make their own wine.
In recent years as part of the revival of interest in Rhone Valley wines, a group of mostly young growers, all working with consultant oenologist Jean Luc Colombo, have formed a group called Rhone Vignobles. Colombo has generated interest - and some controversy - with his ultra modern ideas, yet each grower most definitely makes his own wines.
The vineyards are on sandy granite terraces above the village of Chavanay with a South facing. Canopy thinning is employed to increase ventilation and exposure of bunches and especially to cut out excess grapes during the summer in order to limit yields and to obtain more concentration in the grapes. These practices are very important for this wine because the grapes are harvested at an over-ripe stage.
Neither insecticides nor pesticides are used and the harvest is done by hand in 4 to 8 pickings between October and the beginning of December. Grape pickers select individual, over-ripe and botrytised grapes, which are pressed then clarified and put into barrels where the alcoholic fermentation is completed during the winter. The fermentation stops due to the drop in temperature and leaves naturally occurring residual sugar in the wine.
An extraordinary wine with complex aromas of dried apricots, honey and barley sugar. Very concentrated and voluptuous, displays an astounding viscosity which fills the mouth and adds a sensuous texture to the dried tropical fruit flavours. Seriously lengthy with an impressively hefty finish.
