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Yves Cuilleron, St. Joseph, Pierres Seches

Northern Rhone, France 2013 (750mL)
$40.00
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Yves Cuilleron, St. Joseph, Pierres Seches


I first met Yves Cuilleron in Las Vegas in 2007. I was part of a team that had just opened an ambitious restaurant project there, and Yves came in one night with his close friends and fellow Northern Rhône superstars, Yves Gangloff and François Villard. They invited to me visit at the end of the night, and a month later I was on a plane. Visiting with Yves Cuilleron was one of the highlights of my 3 week trip. He opened about 15 old bottles of wines going back to the 1980’s and my eyes widely opened to the cellaring potential of Condrieu. Yves sent us on our way with 6 of the opened wines and the wines got better and better for days after. So, take my word: if stored properly, these wines possess a surprising capacity to improve in the cellar for years.

This particular cuvée come from the small village of Chavanay, where the Cuilleron family property is located. Vines are located on a terraced hillside so steep that it is impassable by tractor, so all work in the vineyard is done by hand. Fruit is harvested manually as well, and fermentation takes place in small barrels of one to four years of age. The wine stays in constant contact with the lees during it’s time in barrel, and is stirred regularly. Finally there is a light filtering before going into to bottle which gives the wine it’s brilliant clarity.

The 2013 Cuilleron La Petite Côte has a beautiful golden yellow core moving to green and golden highlights on the meniscus. The aromas are very intense and like sunshine beaming from the glass with notes of preserved apricots, ripe white peach, candied lemon, honeysuckle, wet white rocks and fresh wild lavender and sage. On the palate the wine is round, dense and full bodied with a rich, viscous texture and flavors of quince, ripe pear, lemon meringue, beeswax and fresh acacia flowers with a long, intense finish. It is stunning wine. This should be enjoyed now and over the next few years to enjoy the fresh fruit qualities in the wine, decanting is recommended for a brief 20-30 minutes before serving in a large Burgundy stem at about 60 degrees, just above cellar temp. Pairing with this wine is an exciting challenge because it has very rich texture and moderate acidity. Make sure to not pair it with overtly sweet foods, or are anything with pronounced heat. Cantonese Seafood goes very well with Condrieu in my experience, and particularly lobster due to its rich and meaty texture. This recipe is a classic and is not so difficult to prepare. A quick tip, if you are in a major city and have access to a local Chinese market with a Lobster tank, have them chop the lobster for you, it will be much easier than doing it yourself. If you don’t have access to Lobster, you could replace with crab or a meaty white fleshed fish with great results.

**Please note that our image shows the 2012 vintage.  We are offering you the 2013 vintage today.**
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Country
France
Region
Northern Rhone
Sub-Region
FranceCondrieu
Soil
Granite and Mica
Farming
Organic
Blend
Viognier
Alcohol
13.5
OAK
Used French

France

Bourgogne

Beaujolais

Enjoying the greatest wines of Beaujolais starts, as it usually does, with the lay of the land. In Beaujolais, 10 localities have been given their own AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin) designation. They are: Saint Amour; Juliénas; Chénas; Moulin-à Vent; Fleurie; Chiroubles; Morgon; Régnié; Côte de Brouilly; and Brouilly.

Southwestern France

Bordeaux

Bordeaux surrounds two rivers, the Dordogne and Garonne, which intersect north of the city of Bordeaux to form the Gironde Estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The region is at the 45th parallel (California’s Napa Valley is at the38th), with a mild, Atlantic-influenced climate enabling the maturation of late-ripening varieties.

Central France

Loire Valley

The Loire is France’s longest river (634 miles), originating in the southerly Cévennes Mountains, flowing north towards Paris, then curving westward and emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Nantes. The Loire and its tributaries cover a huge swath of central France, with most of the wine appellations on an east-west stretch at47 degrees north (the same latitude as Burgundy).

Northeastern France

Alsace

Alsace, in Northeastern France, is one of the most geologically diverse wine regions in the world, with vineyards running from the foothills of theVosges Mountains down to the Rhine River Valley below.

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