Francois Villard Viognier Les Contours de Deponcins 2020

There is an aura of adventure and humour surrounding François that is infectious. He genuinely loves every aspect of his job and this passion and dedication shines through in his wines. They are bright, poised and vivacious with a spine tingling minerality, combined with amazing depth and intensity. François has firmly established himself as one of Condrieu’s greatest winemakers.

François has seven hectares of vineyard, which includes vineyards in Condrieu, as well as small parcels of Côte Rôtie and Saint Joseph. François firmly believes in the importance of the soil, more so than exposure (though he is very lucky in this as well). This ensures his Viognier has an intense minerality, which counters the natural low acidity of the grape to make it racy, vibrant and thrilling.
No expense is spared in production either, from painstaking selection in the vineyard to new oak barrels. His wines are the epitome of the Northern Rhône – rich, full-bodied, complex and elegant. The whites are picked late to give them extra body and complexity, but still maintain a thrilling mineral streak and crisp acidity. They can also age magnificently over five years, adding complex aromas of white peaches, honeysuckle and honey.

75cl bottle.