The average age of the trees is 30 years.
Planting density: 4,000 to 6,000 trees/ha.
Yield: 51hl/ha.
Oleander, a flower that blooms in spring and can be seen near grape fields, is called "laurel" in the local dialect.
Fermented at low temperature in large barrels and aged for 4 months.
Production volume: 25,000 bottles.
Three vignerons representing the Northern Rhone region, François Villard, Pierre Gaillard and Yves Cuilleron, discovered that there were once vineyards on the hill of Seyssuel that produced high-quality wines. In 1996, they planted vines on the hill, founded Les Vins de Vienne and have since produced excellent wines.
This was the revival of the legendary hill of Seyssuel, and news of this new Northern Rhône quickly spread throughout the wine world.
The hills of Seyssuel are an ancient vineyard with a history dating back to Roman times, and before phylloxera the wines produced there were far more highly valued than those produced in Côte Rotie at the time. However, due to the effects of war, the vineyards were abandoned for a long time.
It is located across the Rhône River from Côte Rotie.
The meandering Rhône River is at its narrowest (700m) in this area, creating a unique Mediterranean microclimate.
Additionally, strong winds blow along the steep slopes of the valley, meaning that the leaves and fruit are extremely unlikely to be damaged by mold or pests.
The soil is a mixture of schist and gneiss, just like that of Cote Rotie.
These soil characteristics and the steep slope ensure excellent drainage, and the solar heat absorbed by the bedrock promotes grape ripening.
These natural conditions allow for the harvest of perfectly ripe and concentrated fruit.
Currently, 25 producers, from prestigious names such as Michel & Stéphane Ogé, Louis Chaize and Anthony Pare to the Rhône giant Chapoutier, own vineyards on the Seyssuel hills, and wine is produced on a total of over 65 hectares.
They founded Vitis Vienna in 2004 to promote the wines of this terroir and are currently lobbying INAO for promotion from IGP to AOC.
Les Vents de Vienne owns 12 hectares in Seyssuel.
Pierre Gaillard, Yves Cuilleron and François Villars have given this area of Seyssuel the shared name "TERRE DE VIENNAE" and make wine based on their own respective philosophies (TERRE = earth, VIENNAE = Vienne in Latin).
Led by these three pioneers, renowned Rhone vignerons will be spreading the word about the new possibilities and potential of Rhone wine from Seyssuel.