Domaine François Villard Les Contours de Deponcins Viognier 2023
£34.75
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Rich and complex Viognier with aromas of peach, apricot and wildflowers which follow on to the smooth, intense palate.
- Les Contours de Deponcins is a declassified vineyard just outside of the appellation of Condrieu.
- The wine spends 11 months on lees in old oak barrels with frequent bâtonnage, contributing textural richness to the wine.
- Francois Villard owns 40ha and brings in an additional 35ha with purchased grapes.
- Villard is well known for the high quality of his Condrieu wines, and brings his expertise with Viognier to this wine.
- The estate is in the process of converting to organic certification.
- Grape variety: Viognier
- Vintage: 2023
- Type/Colour: White
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Bottle Size: 75cl
- Group: Rhône
François Villard has firmly established himself as one of Condrieu`s greatest winemakers. His wines are bright, poised and vivacious with a spine-tingling minerality, combined with amazing depth and intensity. François has 7 hectares of vineyard, which include parcels in Condrieu, as well as small pockets of Côte-Rôtie and Saint-Joseph. He firmly believes in the importance of the soil, more so than exposure, although he is very lucky to have both working in his favour. In the winery, no expense is spared in production either, from the painstaking selection in the vineyard to the use of new oak barrels. His wines are the epitome of the Northern Rhône - rich, full-bodied, complex and elegant.
The grapes for his Candrieu are grown in the great Deponcins parcel, and his Viognier `Les Contours de Deponcins` is grown a mere stone`s throw away, but just outside of the appellation limit, meaning that it cannot carry the name `Condrieu`, but the fruit is still of the utmost quality, from an exceptional site. The whites are picked late to give them extra body and complexity, but still maintain a thrilling mineral streak and clean acidity. They can also age magnificently over more than five years, adding complex aromas of white peaches, honeysuckle and honey.