François Villard trained as a chef before setting up his estate in 1989 following his sommelier and viticultural training. He favours late harvesting so that they berries are perfectly concentrated. Today, his estate spans 42 hectares over nearly all the appellations in the region (except Hermitage) and it has become a standout name in the Rhône. Since 2022, the entire property has been certified organic.
François also took part in a joint project called Vins de Vienne to replant the old Seyssuel area. He undertook this with two other master winemakers, Yves Cuilleron (Domaine Cuilleron) and Pierre Gaillard (Domaine Pierre Gaillard). The initiative was a great success.
François loves to build, and with each vintage he creates new vats for his wine that he christens with a comical name, normally a play on words. He produces 400,000 bottles a year and is adored by enthusiasts and critics alike.

To create this wine, François Villard has manually harvested twenty-year-old Syrah, grown on a decomposed, east and south-east facing, and granite and quartz soil. The harvest, partially whole, fermented in open stainless-steel vats and wood for two weeks before the wine was aged for 15 months in barrels for between two and four years. On tasting, it offers up a subtle balance between finesse and elegance that results in notes of red fruit and spices.