Fruity and full-bodied style. Attractive floral aroma. Whole bunch pressed. Juice chilled, skins and seeds allowed to settle for 48 hours. No other gases used except SO2. Natural yeast used, alcoholic fermentation in wooden barrels and foudres for 4 months at low temperature. Aged on the lees in foudres and French oak barrels for 9 months. Cross-flow filtered and bottled. François Villard, Pierre Gaillard and Yves Cuilleron, three vignerons representing the Northern Rhone, discovered that there was once a vineyard on the hill of Seyssuel that produced high-quality wine. In 1996, they planted grapes on the hill, founded Les Vins de Vienne and produced wonderful wines. It was the revival of the legendary hill of Seyssuel, and the news of this new Northern Rhone spread quickly throughout the wine industry. The Seychelles Hills are an old vineyard that dates back to Roman times. Before phylloxera, the wines produced there were far more highly rated than those produced in Cote Rotie at that time, but they were left abandoned for a long time due to the effects of war. It is located on the opposite bank of the Rhône River from Cote Rotie. The meandering Rhône River is at its narrowest in this area (700m), creating a unique Mediterranean climate (micro-climat). In addition, the steep slopes in the valley are subject to strong winds, so the area is extremely free of mold and pest damage to the leaves and fruit. The soil is a complex mixture of schist and gneiss, just like Cote Rotie. These soil characteristics and the steep slopes allow for excellent drainage, and the solar heat absorbed by the bedrock promotes the ripening of the grapes. These natural conditions allow for the harvest of fully ripe and concentrated fruit. Currently, 25 producers, from prestigious names such as Michel & Stephan Ogé, Louis Chaize, and Anthony Paré to the giant of the Rhône, Chapoutier, own vineyards on the hills of Seyssuel, and wine is made on a total of more than 65 hectares. They founded Vitis Vienna in 2004 to promote the wines of this terroir, and are currently lobbying INAO to promote it from IGP to AOC. Les Vins 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 philosophy (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.
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