Passionate about wine, Pierre-Jean Villa began his career by marketing Burgundy wines and then, from 1992, managed the production and marketing of major Burgundy estates such as Mommessin and Clos de Tart.
Pierre-Jean Villa returned to the Rhône Valley in 2003 and took part in the venture launched in 1996 by Yves Cuilleron, Pierre Gaillard and François Villard, in order to plant a vineyard on the steep hillsides of Seyssuel and to produce Domaine des Vins de Vienne wines there.
In 2009, Pierre-Jean Villa created his estate in his hometown, Chavanay, in the heart of the northern Rhône Valley. On the advice of Georges and Christine Vernay, he acquired a plot in Saint-Joseph and one in Condrieu, planting vines on steep terraces where it was impossible to bring in machines.
His tenacity, work and the advice of his winegrower friends caused Pierre-Jean Villa to succeed in his crazy gamble.
Cultivated according to the principles of organic farming, the vineyard now extends over an area of 17 hectares distributed on both sides of the Rhône, on the emblematic appellations of Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage as well as the hills of Seyssuel. The vines are 30 years old on average and the grape varieties are composed exclusively of Syrah for the red wines and Viognier (70%) and Roussanne (30%) for the whites.
Pierre-Jean Villa brings meticulous care both to the work of the vineyard and to vinification.
Keen to produce great wines that authentically express their terroir and winegrower ethic, Pierre-Jean Villa pays meticulous attention to maintaining the microbial life of the soil, respecting the vine with minimal intervention during vinification (use of indigenous yeasts, respect for the lunar calendar for the work of racking and bottling) to perfect its cuvées after an ageing period ranging from 12 to 24 months.
Adored by wine-lovers and acclaimed by critics (4 Bettane & Desseauve stars, 2 RVF stars), Pierre-Jean Villa, "one of the most gifted winegrowers of his generation" according to Bettane & Desseauve, produces great wines recognised for their freshness, their delicacy, their finesse and their extreme precision.
