Cave Yves Cuilleron

Winemaker Yves Cuilleron rejects off-the-shelf ideas. His vision of vine cultivation is highly personal and his philosophy is simple: “Produce the best possible grapes”. He practices “viticulture raisonnable”, an integrated, eco-friendly approach in which observation is key. The winery produces 430,000 bottles a year.

Cuilleron Estates in the northern Rhône makes exceptional red and white wines predominantly from Syrah and Viognier grapes. The domaine has been in the Cuilleron family for three generations, and Yves Cuilleron has expanded the size, scope, and scale of the estate in Côte Rôtie, Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Péray. These vineyards are planted to Syrah, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier.

Cuilleron’s key wines come from the Côte Rôtie and Condrieu appellations. In the Condrieu appellation, Cuilleron makes three cuvées – Chaillets, Vertige and Ayguets from grapes that were planted in 1939. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed, fermented in barrel with indigenous yeasts, and then aged for nine months on their lees. Vertige ages much longer than the other two Condrieu wines, spending 18 months in barrel.

In the Côte Rôtie appellation, wine include Terres Sombres, Bassenon and Madinière. These, along with the Saint-Joseph Les Serines wines, are either 100 percent Syrah or blended with a small amount of Viognier, and are aged for 18 to 20 months in oak.