Louis Chèze started his venture in 1978 with one hectare of vines in the Saint-Joseph appellation, on a hillside on the right bank of the Rhône in the commune of Limony. Since then, the domain has grown to 30 hectares, and owns vineyards in Saint-Joseph, Condrieu and more recently, on the other side of the Rhône on the hillsides of Seyssuel, opposite the Côte-Rôtie. Like François Villard, Yves Cuilleron and Pierre Galliard, Louis Chèze now cultivates vines on the remains of the ancient Roman vineyards there. The domain has a modern winery so the vinification process is as fine-tuned as it can be. Every cuvée is the outcome of a meticulous single parcel selection that allows the terroir and grapes to express themselves fully. As the wines are produced on a granite terrain they are very fresh, stylish and full of character. This Rhône Valley domain is growing in reputation.

The Viognier grape in this cuvée, made since the 2007 vintage, has benefited from responsible farming on a shale and quartz, south-facing soil. Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation was done in barriques, followed by bâtonnage and the wine was aged in three to four-year-old barrels for eight to ten months. On tasting, it presents a golden hue which exudes lovely yellow flowers and stone fruit such as apricot. Its frank attack and beautiful structure require pairing with gourmet dishes. You can savour this wine in its youth, or wait a few years so that it develops tertiary aromas.