St. Joseph Les Serines

The tannins mellow with time, giving the wine a great fullness that enables it to pair uniquely well with fried beef rib and porcini mushrooms.

Yves Cuilleron is described by Wine Spectator as the leader of Condrieu's new generation of winemakers. Yves represents the 4th generation of Cuilleron vignerons although he initially trained as a engineer. The lure of the vine proved too hard to resist and after a year's training at the Ecole Viticole in Macon he took over the vineyards in 1987. Since then he has built an entirely new winery at Chavany facility while at the same time he acquired additional vineyard property. The domaine now produces about 50 000 bottles annually divided between the appellations of St. Joseph Blanc St. Joseph Rouge Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu.

Les Serine is a selection of old vines that owes its name to the grape the wine is made from, and is the name given locally to Syrah. It is cultivated in shallow granitic soils. It is treated without additives, and its yields are limited.

The wine is matured for 18 months in barrique barrels.

For decades, the Domaine has undertaken traditional, straightforward vinification. Cuilleron’s main ingredients? Hand-picking of grapes, meticulous sorting in situ, alcoholic fermentation using only wild yeasts, and ageing in oak. The business may be growing, but remains deeply attached to the traditional principles of cap-punching and open-vat pump-overs. They use no oenological products, and technology is kept to the bare minimum.