2009 Condrieu, Les Ayguets, Yves Cuilleron
About Producer
A towering figure in the Northern Rhône Valley, Yves Cuilleron is based in Chavanay, 7km south of Condrieu on the right bank of River Rhône. Yves took over in 1987 the family estate created by his grandfather Claude Cuilleron in 1920 and managed by his uncle Antoine from 1960. In 1996, Yves teamed up with fellow winemakers Pierre Gaillard and François Villard to create Vins de Vienne. Yves has extended the 3.5ha property he inherited in 1987 to 75ha of vineyards currently, covering the right bank appellations (condrieu, côte rôtie, saint-joseph, saint-péray and cornas) and, since 2012, the left bank (crozes-hermitage). With painstaking efforts in the vineyards and traditional approach in the cellar, Yves Cuilleron produces a gorgeous range of wines known for their elegance of expression and sense of place.
Varietals
100% viognier from a south-facing terraced vineyard on muscovite granite soil in Chavanay. Botrytised or shrivelled grapes are manually harvested in successive sorting passes between mid-October and mid-November. Fermentation takes place in barrels and the wine is matured in oak barrels for 8 months. Around 2,000 bottles (50cl size) are produced per year.
About Appellation
Condrieu is a 220ha appellation located in the northern Rhône Valley, on the right bank of the river, at approximately 45km south of the city of Lyon. Here, viognier reigns supreme on the steep granite hillsides overlooking the Rhône. Viticulture in the area pre-existed the Roman conquest. Grubbed up around 92AD, the vineyards were replanted as from 280AD, and the wines were much appreciated at the Avignon papal court in the 14th century. Phylloxera, the Great Depression and the two world wars drastically reduced the vineyards to a mere dozen of hectares in the 1950s. It was thanks to the dogged determination of a small group of winemakers led by Georges Vernay that the appellation started its revival in the 1980s.
Tasting Notes
It was a 2001 bottle tasted in 2008 that made me fall in love with this sweet wine from Yves Cuilleron. In 2011, I went to visit his domaine in Chavanay, and brought back a case of this 2009. Enticing nose of confit white stone fruits, citrus, honey and beeswax, smooth mouthfeel with velvety texture, ample structure and remarkable focus, oodles of intense flavours of apricot, peach, mandarine, ripe fig, candied chestnut, ginger and vanilla, vibrant line of zesty acidity cruising along a delightful, persistent finish. It’s pleasantly rich with a touch of complexity, yet there is a refreshing lift on the palate that makes it utterly captivating. This is a splendid wine with subtle elegance and graceful charm, striking an effortless balance between racy freshness and lush sweetness, without ever straying into heavy or cloying. (07/2023)