Yves Cuilleron : Les Chaillets 2024

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the 2024 Condrieu "Les Chaillets" by Yves Cuilleron

Tasting

Colour
The colour reveals a bright, pale gold hue, reminiscent of mother-of-pearl.

Nose
Elegant and complex, the aromatic bouquet exudes scents of stone fruit such as peach and apricot, intertwined with subtle notes of white flowers and honey. Delicate touches of spice and toasted dried fruit emerge with aeration.

Palate
The palate opens rich, generous and velvety. It unfolds with impressive depth, extending into a long, refined finish, enhanced by a persistent mineral freshness reminiscent of wet stone.

Food and wine pairing
This white wine pairs beautifully with delicate dishes such as veal sweetbreads with mushrooms, shellfish like langoustines, fine fish, or lightly spiced Asian cuisine. It also complements aged goat cheeses perfectly.

Service and storage
For optimal tasting, this wine should be served at a temperature between 8 and 14°C, and opened approximately 30 minutes before serving. It can be enjoyed young, but will continue to evolve favourably until around 2032.

The mineral, complex expression of a Condrieu wine

The estate
Founded in 1920 by Claude Cuilleron, the family estate is located in Chavanay, at the heart of the Rhône Valley. Since 1987, Yves Cuilleron has been at the helm of the property. A former car mechanic, he transformed this modest 3.5-hectare vineyard into an essential estate that now spans 65 to 75 hectares. Known for his tailored approach and his rejection of standardised certifications, Yves Cuilleron favours sustainable viticulture and meticulous observation of his vines to produce grapes of optimal quality that faithfully reflect their terroir.

The vineyard
This cuvée comes from plots located to the north of the Condrieu appellation, benefiting from an ideal south and southeast exposure for ripening. The vines, planted on terraces locally known as "chaillets", thrive on granitic soils rich in biotite. The estate practices demanding viticulture with controlled yields, rigorous manual work, and no insecticides for over twenty years, allowing the pure expression of this unique terroir to shine through.

Winemaking and aging
The harvest is entirely manual, followed by a thorough sorting of the berries. Fermentation takes place using indigenous yeasts. The 2024 Condrieu "Les Chaillets" is aged on the lees for 8 to 9 months, without any racking, split equally between 30-hectolitre foudres and traditional Burgundian barrels. The final blend of the different plots is made just before bottling.

Grape variety
100% Viognier