Yves Cuilleron Viognier 2024

Yves Cuilleron originally trained as an engineer, and this shows in his wines: they are crafted with the utmost precision. There is no old-school Rhône ‘funk’ about them – their exquisitely pure, defined fruit and delicacy allied to intensity mean that they express a sense of place in an utterly refined manner. Yves Cuilleron makes outstanding Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie. He also has a parcel of 12 hectares of Viognier and Syrah outside the appellations from which he makes his Vin de Pays. The Cuilleron Viognier is the equal of some actual Condrieu – hand-picked fruit from low yielding vines, fermented in stainless steel and aged on the lees for 6 months in older barrels. For less than half the cost of good Condrieu you get textbook Viognier – apricot, peach and floral notes on the nose, a creamy concentrated palate with a discreet lick of oak – a model of richness and restraint.