2017 Domaine François Villard Saint-Joseph "Mairlant", Rhone Valley, FranceABOUT THIS WINE 100% Syrah. 30 year old vines in decomposed granite. From Arddoix, Chavanay, and Saint Pierre de Buf. Aged 18 months in 2 7 year old barrels. ABOUT THIS PRODUCER Francois Villard was not born into wine; he started out his career as a chef. He grew up between Vienne and Grenoble, in the French countryside. He made his first Condrieu in 1991, a whopping 400 bottles. Today makes wine from 64 hectares, of which he owns 40 hectares,

Ricci vineyards is on the Sonoma half of Carneros and only a few miles from the San Pablo Bay

Ground-breaking and independent

Thankfully

combined with the forest cover and protect the vineyards with most sunlight coming directly from the reflection from the Mediterranean Sea

the place recognized as the home of Trousseau

Soft pressing with brief skin contact followed by fermentation in stainless steel tanks

It lies just east of the village

neutral cask

We hear the same mantra at this domaine that we hear in all of the top estates that we work with: “Quality is made in the vineyard

It’s in 1760

Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled tanks

“Dinamica”