Yves Cuilleron

Domaine Cuilleron is a family-run estate that has been managed by Yves Cuilleron since 1987. Yves took over Domaine Cuilleron after completing several internships and training programs in the field. He started out at the same time as a generation of winemakers who were beginning from scratch: Villard, the Gaillards, and others. Alongside this generation, he embarked on an entirely new adventure: the founding of Vins de Vienne. After that, a vineyard was established on land purchased at affordable prices. Several abandoned vineyards increased in value in record time. Yves was part of a movement of winemakers with exceptional drive. Replanting and restoration were necessary following periods of leasing and tenant farming. The Vin de France Persan (2018) is among the wines made from heritage grape varieties.

Yves Cuilleron rejects “ready-made thinking.” His vision of viticulture is entirely his own: neither conventional, nor organic, nor biodynamic. His philosophy is simple: “To produce the best grapes possible.” He therefore practices “reasonable” viticulture, in which observation plays a decisive role. All vineyard work essential to the quality of the grapes is carried out.

Yves Cuilleron follows a unique principle when it comes to winemaking: “Keep it as simple as possible.” He is also deeply committed to local traditions. For all his wines: hand-harvested grapes, meticulous sorting, alcoholic fermentation using only natural yeasts, with no added oenological products, and only temperature control.

The Yves Cuilleron winery has expanded over time. Currently, the estate covers approximately 90 hectares in Cornas, Côte Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Condrieu, and Saint-Péray. This expansion was made possible after numerous negotiations. The estate produces high-end wines, particularly whites. These wines express great finesse thanks to their aging in oak barrels. Wines with significant maturity were released in 2019. Some are ripe and rich, while others are robust or more taut. Built for aging, the Cornas is wood-aged with excellent vitality on the finish. The Vin de France Syrah Sybel (2019) is one of the rosé wines produced by this winery.

To produce Yves Cuilleron wine, there’s no need to buy grapes. In a single year, 540,000 bottles of wine are produced from this vineyard. Red wine grapes are planted on 50 hectares, and white wine grapes are grown on 40 hectares. Aging in oak barrels lasts 18 months for red wines and 9 months for white wines. The winemakers use manual harvesting for this process. The average age of the vines is about 35 years. Syrah is the sole red grape variety used here. For the white varieties, the blend consists of 20% Marsanne, 24% Roussanne, and 56% Viognier. Bourasseau wines also come from this same vineyard: Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, and Côte-Rôtie.