Viognier, Yves Cuilleron Condrieu "La Petite Cote", Rhone, FR, 2021

Yves Cuilleron applies just one principle to vinification: "Keep things as simple as possible." He is also deeply attached to local traditions. His grapes are invariably hand picked and meticulously sorted; for the alcoholic fermentation, natural yeasts only and no other oenological products, just temperature control.

For Yves Cuilleron, "making a perfect wine," a wine like every other, is inconceivable. He wants "a wine with Cuilleron’s signature!" A wine that bears the hallmarks of its terroir and vintage but also has its own, original character. Which is why Yves Cuilleron prefers parcel-based vinification; why he separates old and younger vines; and why he takes account of the various vineyard districts. Only then does he blend some of his cuvées (or not), if they are sufficiently similar. For Yves Cuilleron, nothing is written in stone. And, most important of all, he does not consider his wines in terms of a "hierarchy;" rather, each wine has its very own style. And style means zero compromise: if the cuvée is fruity-led, it is vinified accordingly. If it will benefit from aging, then his approach differs.