Cuilleron Condrieu Les Chaillets
WHY WE LOVE IT
- “Les Chaillets” is the local name for the terraces where the vines are planted.
- Organic, Eco-friendly farming. No insecticides are used.
Varietal Composition: 100% Viognier
Elaboration: Grown on a selection of Condrieu plots on the biotite granite terroir. On this soil, the Viognier expresses itself with a lot of minerality and elegance. Treatments are limited depending on the weather, with no insecticide use to preserve biodiversity. Minimal organic fertilizer may be applied. Precise control of vigor and yields is maintained through leaf stripping and a green harvest for better grape maturation. Disbudding occurs in spring.
The grapes are harvested by hand and traditional methods are used throughout the process with the least possible use of oenological products (indigenous yeasts). Vinification (alcoholic and malolactic fermentation) and aging takes place in wooden casks of 30 hectoliters (50%) and 50% in Burgundy barrels without racking and eight months on lees. Blending of the different plots occurs before bottling.
Tasting Notes: Nose with aromas of stone fruits (apricot, peach), honey and flowers. Some notes of sweet spices and toasted dried fruits. Rich and gourmet palate. The slender finish is marked by the mineral freshness of granite and gives this wine great depth.
PRESS
2022 – 96 Jeb Dunnuck | 92 Vinous
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Cuilleron Estates is a producer in the northern Rhône. The estate has been in the Cuilleron family for three generations, but it is the estate’s current owner and winemaker, Yves Cuilleron, who has expanded the size, scope, and scale of the vineyard, land holdings, and winery.