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  • 2018 Francois Villard Saint Peray Version

2018 Francois Villard Saint Peray Version

2018 Francois Villard Saint Peray Version

93 VM

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Sokolin Notes:
Taste Matters. This Wine Tastes Great!

Featured Review
Pale, shimmering yellow. Fresh pear, honeydew, tangerine and pungent flowers on the mineral-inflected nose. Offers lively, sharply focused orchard and citrus fruit flavors that are complemented by emerging ginger and white pepper notes adding back-end lift and cut. Silky and impressively lithe, delivering solid mineral thrust and repeating florality on the long, incisive finish. Vinous Media

Vinous (Galloni) | 93 VM

Critic Reviews

Pale, shimmering yellow. Fresh pear, honeydew, tangerine and pungent flowers on the mineral-inflected nose. Offers lively, sharply focused orchard and citrus fruit flavors that are complemented by emerging ginger and white pepper notes adding back-end lift and cut. Silky and impressively lithe, delivering solid mineral thrust and repeating florality on the long, incisive finish.

Vinous Media | 93 VM

Wine Details for 2018 Francois Villard Saint Peray Version

Type of Wine Other
Varietal Proprietary Blend : Proprietary Blend is a general term used to indicate that a wine is comprised of multiple grape varietals which are either “proprietary” to the winery or is blended and does not meet the required maximum or minimum percentage of a particular varietal. This also is the case for the grape’s place of origin, especially for region, appellation or vineyard designated wines. There are endless examples of blended wines which are labeled as “Proprietary Blend” and in conjunction with each region’s stipulated wine laws and regulations makes for a vast blanket for wines to fall into. Perhaps the simplest example is California; if a wine is to be labeled as Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, it is required to have at least 75% of the varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon) and 85% of the fruit must be cultivated from the Napa Valley wine district. If the wine does not meet the requirements, it is then labeled as Proprietary Blend.
Country France : Wine is the lifeblood that courses through the country of France, pulsing with vigorous pride and determination. Viticulture is not just a hobby or an occupation in France; it is a passion, a cherished tradition that has been passed down through generations of wine stained hands. Winemaking is a beloved art that has been ingrained in the culture, an aptitude instilled in sons by fathers and the hallmark for which France’s reputation was built, allowing it to be renowned as, arguably, the most important wine producing country in the world.



For centuries, France has been producing wines of superior quality and in much greater quantity than any other country in the world. It boasts some of the most impressive wine regions, coveted vineyards and prestigious wines on earth. The regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Sauternes and Champagne have become the benchmark, for which others aspire to become. Legendary producers such as Chateaux Margaux, Domaine De La Romanee Conti, Chapoutier, d’Yquem and Dom Perignon are idolized world-wide.



France has stamped its name on nearly every style of wine, from the nectar-like sweet Sauternes to hedonistic Chateauneuf Du Papes classic Bordeaux and Burgundy, to its sparkling dominance in Champagne. Many of the most infamous grape varietals in the world, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay originated in France and are not only beloved, but utilized in the creation of some of the greatest wines on earth. French wine production commands the attention of the wine market year after year. With over 860,000 hectares under vine, and numbers close to 50 million hectoliters of wine produced annually, France dominates the market and sets the standard for not only product quality, but also quantity.



France’s many contributions to the world of wine have been absolutely indispensable. The country is the originator of the term “Premier Cru,” coined the term Terroir (a French term so complex there is no literal translation) and has laid the blueprint for a structured appellation system, which others have implemented in their own countries. French vineyard techniques and winemaking practices are mimicked world-wide. California vintners have been replicating Rhone style wines for decades, South America has adopted the French varietal of Malbec and countries around the world are imitating Burgundian styled Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.



With vast diversity in terroir, France is home to some of the most hospitable winegrowing locations on earth. The combination of topography, geology, climate, rainfall and even the amount of sunlight combined with the long historical tradition of winegrowing and making, has allowed the vintners of France to not only hone their skills, but learn from nature to create a product that like the world in which it resides… is very much alive.
Region Rhone : While the Northern Rhone produces only about 5% of all wine coming out of the Rhone Valley, the quality of these bottles is not to be underestimated. The terroir in this region is heavenly for growing Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne or Rousanne - the only permitted grapes in the AOC. Picture this - the Rhone flows through the valley like an azure thread piercing the landscape, a reflection of the dreamy skies hovering above the vineyards, ready to produce rainfall at a moment's notice. The rocky soil of the steep, almost surreal hillsides provides a bountiful feast for the grapevine roots. The flavors and texture of Northern Rhone wines tell you everything you need to know as soon as your lips touch the elixir, like a whisper in the vigorous valley winds

As per the Southern Rhone wine, it is like taking a plunge into a whirlpool of juicy flavor. Every sip explodes forward like a crashing tsunami, bathing your tastebuds in delicious aromas of prune, chocolate, grass, and black fruit. The wines are so compelling that it can be hard to drink them casually at a social event without getting lost in their intricate textures and emotional depths. Let's set sail together, and drink deep from these luxurious bottles with our friends and loved ones.
Subregion Northern Rhone
Appellation Saint Peray

Overview

Producer Francois Villard : Not every domaine in France is centuries old, nor every vintner born in the vineyard. Sometimes the greatest stories of success in the world of wine are the ones built on dreams and determination. From Chef to master winemaker, Francois Villard lives the dream he once dared to imagine. He has become a major star in the region of Rhone, where he produces a myriad of red and white bottlings from Cote-Rotie to Saint Peray. Domaine Francois Villard has risen to stardom in its relatively short history, garnering major attention from critics and consumers, alike.

Villard’s passion for wine began while working in the world of culinary arts. This eventually led him to becoming a sommelier, but when his hunger could no longer be satiated, he looked to getting his hands dirty. When the opportunity to acquire 4 hectares of uncultivated land in the lieu-dit of Poncin (in the appellation of Condrieu), he did not hesitate. With the help of Yves Cuilleron, a like-minded vintner whose family had been cultivating the region since the 1920s, planted his first vines in 1989. The year 1991 marked his first vintage from his small plot in Poncin, producing an enticing, elegant wine that would become one of the most fancied labels in Condrieu. The domaine has since expanded to 42 hectares, spread over 6 appellations and produces 450,000 bottles annually.

Domaine Francois Villard wines come to life in the vineyard, where it is believed to be the most fragile and vital stage of his wines’ development. Villard’s deep respect for nature and terroir are evident in his many sustainable and organic viticultural practices (and is expecting to be certified by 2023 by ECOCERT). “It is by respecting the soil that we can let the terroir express itself,” insists Francois Villard. His philosophy today is to produce authentic and balanced wines. For Villard, it is imperative that his wines be as representative as possible of their terroir, by optimizing the minerality as well as possible, which for him is the greatest freshness that one can imagine in a wine.

Year-long dedication in the vineyard is vital to the success of the harvest, insists Villard. From terrace wall maintenance during winter months, to planting and soil work in the Spring, plant cover, leaf stripping and thinning in preparation for picking. When the harvest arrives it is manually accomplished, plot by plot so that each bunch is harvested with perfect maturity. Wines are then vinified with indigenous yeasts, that is to say, that they use the yeasts naturally present in the grapes and control sulfur additions from the reception of the grapes until their bottling.

The domaine’s portfolio includes their highly esteemed and beloved Condrieus, including Le Grand Vallon and De Poncins, Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, numerous bottlings of Saint Peray and Saint Joseph, a Marsanne-Roussanne blend and the energetic, single-varietal Viognier. The collection of reds is just as impressive, boasting numerous Saint Joseph, Cote-Rotie, Cornas and Crozes-Hermitage labels, as well as numerous other appellation and village wines. Francois Villard produces dry and sweet styles of Condrieu, and often adds a small percentage of Viognier to his Syrah. One of the domaine's top wines, La Brocarde, can contain up to 13 percent Viognier, depending on the vintage.

Francois Villard has become a major contributor to the quality of Condrieu, which is witnessed world-wide. His many bottlings from Cote-Rotie, Saint Peray and every appellation in which his vines are rooted have become well-regarded and his great respect for terroir, commended. Though his work is not yet complete, as he states that his new dream is to “…produce great old wines that we can drink immediately.” Certainly a dream that nearly every consumer, vintner and enthusiast on earth shares.


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