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 building their businesses from the ground up: Villard, the Gaillards, and others. Alongside this generation, he embarked on a whole new venture: 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 those made from heritage grape varieties.

Yves Cuilleron rejects “ready-made thinking.” His approach to 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 single guiding 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. Today, the estate covers approximately 90 hectares in Cornas, Côte Rôtie, Saint-Joseph, Condrieu, and Saint-Péray. This expansion was made possible after extensive negotiations. On the estate, one can find high-end wines, particularly whites. These express great finesse thanks to 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 is no need to buy grapes. In a single year, the vineyard in question yields 540,000 bottles of wine. Red wine grapes are planted across 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 approximately 35 years. The red grape variety Syrah is used 100% of the time. For the white grape 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.