Domaine Yves Cuilleron
Simon Field MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Bottle
£36.95
Bottle 6 x 75cl 3cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Energetic, dynamic and likeable, Yves Cuilleron is seen as the most influential and, at times, the most outspoken of the Northern Rhône producers. The completely rebuilt winery at Chavanay is testament to both his success and ambition; Yves’ skill lies in disseminating the minutiae of terroir (now, in my view, with even better results as the use of new wood has been relaxed a little). ‘Tendu’ seemed to be his most popular adjective used to describe the 2011s: ‘tight-knit, nervous, and with potential’ is my rather prosaic and, in all probability, not entirely accurate translation, a little close to a personification perhaps.
Bottle
£42.00
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer
Yves Cuilleron compares 2012 to 2011; for him the vintage has more concentration and power than its immediate forebear. His house philosophy, whether by accident or design, mirrors the current fashions for later harvests and the addition of a varying degree of stems. Both engender structure and complexity when treated with due respect. Given that there is not the remotest sign of the green on the one hand or the over-ripe on the other, we can infer conspicuous success in these wines.
Bottle
£48.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 15cs
Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer
Bottle
£55.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 23cs
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
Energetic, dynamic and likeable, Yves Cuilleron is seen as the most influential and, at times, the most outspoken of the Northern Rhône producers. The completely rebuilt winery at Chavanay is testament to both his success and ambition; Yves’ skill lies in disseminating the minutiae of terroir (now, in my view, with even better results as the use of new wood has been relaxed a little). ‘Tendu’ seemed to be his most popular adjective used to describe the 2011s: ‘tight-knit, nervous, and with potential’ is my rather prosaic and, in all probability, not entirely accurate translation, a little close to a personification perhaps.
Bottle
£60.00
Simon Field MW, Rhône Wine Buyer
Yves Cuilleron compares 2012 to 2011; for him the vintage has more concentration and power than its immediate forebear. His house philosophy, whether by accident or design, mirrors the current fashions for later harvests and the addition of a varying degree of stems. Both engender structure and complexity when treated with due respect. Given that there is not the remotest sign of the green on the one hand or the over-ripe on the other, we can infer conspicuous success in these wines.
Bottle
£65.00
Bottle 6 x 75cl 17cs
Bottle
£65.65
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012
Our visit to Yves this year, despite its first-after-lunch graveyard slot, was one of the best of them all. Perhaps it was a fruit day! The wines were singing and Yves was composed and confident, clearly very happy with the vintage. For him the long ripening season of 2010, with its significant diurnal temperature variations, was the key to quality. The vigneron’s Grand Master chess skills were fully exercised in the decision of when to harvest… a tricky decision of course, each plot being different, but now, finally I understand the purpose of each of the many varied cuvées in the range and there appears to be some stability and a real sense of purpose in the winemaking….and not too much new oak now…..The enfant terrible has really come of age…
Yves' range boasts a plethora of superbly crafted, different cuvées but for me this one stood out, as it has done in past vintages. Of his St Joseph wines this one comes from the oldest vines, displaying immense concentration wrapped up in a robe of sublime elegance and purity. The tannins are very finegrained, the balance is perfect and there is a seamless harmony between all the component parts. From the more southern vineyards of Yves’ 18 hectares in St Jospeh, Les Serines is sourced from 40-year-old vines and aged for 18 months. It displays classic St Joseph shape and purity, with fine minerality and almost Burgundian red-fruit charm in the mid-palate.
Yves Cuilleron, is described by Wine Spectator as "the leader of Condrieu's new generation of winemakers." Yves represents the 4th generation of Cuilleron vignerons although he initially trained as a engineer. The lure of the vine proved too hard to resist and after a year's training at the Ecole Viticole in Macon he took over the vineyards in 1987.
Since then he has built an entirely new winery at Chavany facility while at the same time he acquired additional vineyard property. The domaine now produces about 50,000 bottles annually divided between the appellations of St. Joseph Blanc, St. Joseph Rouge, Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu.
Most of the vineyards are situated in and around the commune of Chavanay which is just south of the town of Condrieu. He produces approximately 12,000 to 15,000 bottles of Condrieu each year with his production split into 3 cuvees; La Petite Cote, an old vines cuvee Les Chaillets, and a late harvest cuvee Les Ayguets.