2021 Cave Yves Cuilleron Saint-Joseph Les Serines

Yves Cuilleron, producer of the great Condrieu, the great white of the northern Rhône, has focused on making red wines with great success in recent years. His most beautiful red wine is without a doubt this grand 'Les Serines', a wine made from the best plots of Syrah from Cuilleron in Saint-Joseph, from old vines, which produce wine with great depth and concentration. The vineyards have an ideal location: the vines are on terraces facing south-southeast, with a subsoil of granite and sand, in which rainwater is quickly drained. The grapes are perfectly ripe at harvest and undergo fermentation for no less than four weeks, resulting in a very deep and powerful wine. It then matures for a year and a half in 100% new French oak barrels. It is a great glass of wine, with a complexity and depth that is unparalleled for a Saint-Joseph.

The Saint-Joseph Les Serines has an intense deep ruby red color in the glass. On the nose the wine is very powerful and broad, intense, Mediterranean herbs and sultriness. After some rolling in the glass, we also taste a hint of vanilla and the typical Syrah pepperiness and red berries. This is a fantastic glass, super intense and at the same time fresh in the taste, young, good tannins, length, finesse. Delicious for now but then decanting and great for the cellar because this will improve even further in the coming years. For us, this is a perfect wine with game dishes.

Yves Cuilleron represents the third generation of winemakers. Cave Cuilleron has existed since 1920. In 1987, the domain came into the hands of Yves through his grandfather and uncle. Together with François Villard, Yves Cuilleron is one of the greatest talents in the Northern Rhône today. Wine Spectator calls him the leader of the new generation of winemakers in the Condrieu. Most of his vineyards are in and around Chavanay, just south of Condrieu. In total he has 59 hectares spread over Saint Joseph (Blanc), Saint Joseph (Rouge), Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu.

Yves has an important slogan... pick the grapes as ripe as possible! He is a gourmet who loves good food and 'Les Vins Gourmand'. You can also taste that in his wines. He makes his wines '100% maison'. Per parcel or type of wine, he monitors the Cuilleron style of the cuvée in question, without compromise. However, nothing is set in stone for him. He works on feeling, experience and continues to observe and adjust. He selects the fruit from the older and younger vines. He does the same with the different plots. He only blends different plots if there are sufficient synonyms or properties that complement each other.

In terms of winemaking, Yves goes his own way. He doesn't follow trends. He does not work conventionally, organically and not biodynamically, but according to his own philosophy aimed at obtaining healthy grapes. He continuously observes in order to be able to intervene in time. He has been working sustainably for 20 years according to la lutte raisonnée; a sensible way of making wine without pesticides and fertilizers. In the cellar he works with natural yeasts and prefers to use older foeders and barriques instead of steel tanks.